In June 2023, Mr Hans Ni, President of World Geospatial Information Home (WGIH), China, and his team visited Spatialox in Islamabad. Spatialox arranged meetings for the delegation with the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) and the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR). Spatialox and WGIH also signed an MOU during the visit. We are archiving it here, some time after the event itself, as part of our corporate archives.
About WGIH
World Geospatial Information Home is linked to Deqing Geospatial Information Town in Zhejiang Province, People's Republic of China. A 2024 FIG report on a China-Africa geospatial seminar describes WGIH in Deqing as a place where liaison offices could be opened to strengthen collaboration and the sharing of geospatial knowledge and industry between China and African countries. This report also mentions that Deqing hosted the first United Nations World Geospatial Information Congress in 2018. A WGIH presentation published on the United Nations SDGs website in 2025 describes the initiative as one that invites organisations from around the world to establish representative offices in Deqing.
Meetings with SUPARCO and PCRWR
During the visit, Mr Hans Ni and his team met two Pakistani national organisations. SUPARCO is Pakistan's national space agency, established in 1961 to carry out research and development in space science, technology and their applications for peaceful purposes. Its website describes programmes that include satellites and space technology applications for agriculture, the environment, urban planning and disaster management.
PCRWR is a national research organisation established in 1964. According to its website, its mandate covers research on water resources, including irrigation, drainage, surface and groundwater management, watershed management, rainwater harvesting and water quality.
Spatialox arranged both meetings. The meeting with SUPARCO took place at its head office in Islamabad on 19 June 2023, and the meeting with PCRWR took place at the PCRWR head office on 20 June 2023.
The MOU
During the visit, Spatialox and WGIH signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU), signed by Mr Muhammad Hamza and Mr Hans Ni. MOUs record the intentions of two parties to co-operate with one another. This reinforces Spatialox's interest in working with more international partners in geospatial technology.
This post records the visit, the meetings and the MOU between Spatialox and WGIH. It does not suggest any agreement with, or endorsement by, SUPARCO or PCRWR.
A cultural exchange
Our guests were offered Ajrak and topi as a gesture of goodwill from Spatialox. Ajrak is a block-printed shawl associated with Sindh, while the topi is a traditional cap. Both reflect Pakistani craft and culture, and our guests were photographed wearing the Ajrak.
Spatialox in context
Spatialox is a geospatial company in Islamabad. In 2017 we started as freelancers doing GIS, drone imaging, topographic survey, cartography, remote sensing and 3D reality capture projects for clients based in the USA and Europe, completing more than 370 diverse projects. For more information on the company, see our About Us page.
Since then, we have been forming partnerships, including a recent agreement with the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Looking ahead
We appreciate the connections made during this visit, and we are dedicated to working together and implementing realistic geospatial solutions for our clients and communities.
