Top Pakistani firms to showcase products at German fair

Pakistan pavilion being set up after 8 years, delegates from leading universities will also take part

ISLAMABAD: As many as 32 prominent engineering product exporters from Pakistan will participate in Hannover Messe - the world’s largest fair of industrial products - which will be held in Hannover, Germany from April 25 to 29.

The Engineering Development Board (EDB) is organising the Pakistan pavilion at the event after a gap of eight years, with funding support provided by the Ministry of Commerce through the Export Development Fund, said an official in the Ministry of Commerce.



“About 5,000 exhibitors from across the world will be showcasing their latest technologies for factories and energy systems at the exhibition,” the official said, adding the Pakistan pavilion would display products of top engineering companies in the industrial supply chain.

He said a group of 15 to 20 delegates from leading technical universities would also accompany the delegation.

“The setting up of the Pakistan pavilion after a long hiatus at the world’s largest industrial fair is a step in the right direction,” the official said, adding Hannover Messe always succeeded in highlighting product innovations, industry trends and latest advances in research and development. In the context of Pakistan, he said, it was important to note that there had been a mismatch in the country’s export product mix vis-à-vis the global market.

“While 34% of the international trade is in engineering goods, Pakistan’s export of engineering products is barely 1% of total exports of the country,” he said. “On the other hand, textiles constitute around 56% of Pakistan’s exports but its share in international trade is only 4%.”

A boost to Pakistan’s stagnating exports could be given through fast-track development of the engineering sector, accordingly, it has been picked as one of the priority areas in the recently announced Strategic Trade Policy Framework for 2015-18.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 19^th,  2016.

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