A team from the Military Institute of Science and Technology (MIST) has won the Pioneer Class title at the MATE ROV 2026 World Championship, securing first place at one of the world’s leading underwater robotics competitions.

The MIST Mavirov team claimed the championship with its flagship remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV), MAVIRIO ROV, at the competition held in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, from 23 to 27 June.

The team emerged as the overall champion among 77 international teams after achieving the highest combined score across all competition categories.

MAVIRIO ROV is an underwater robot designed and built by the students to perform complex engineering tasks beneath the surface. The system is intended for applications including ocean exploration, marine environmental monitoring, underwater infrastructure inspection and repair operations.

Organised by the Marine Technology Society (MTS), the MATE ROV Competition brings together university teams from around the world to develop innovative solutions to real-world marine engineering challenges.

The MIST Mavirov team comprises students from the Department of Electrical, Electronic and Communication Engineering (EECE). The team worked under the supervision of Captain Mohammad Moinul Hasan and includes 11 core members and 24 general members.

The team acknowledged the support of the Bangladesh Navy, Bangladesh Coast Guard, Bangladesh Ordnance Factory, Radisson Blu Dhaka Water Garden, Pubali Bank PLC, Meghna Group of Industries, Chittagong Dry Dock Limited, Scube Technologies Ltd, City Group, SKS, Cathweld Construction Co. Ltd, Engineering Inspection Services of Bangladesh Limited and Blue Planet Group for supporting the project.

The EECE Department of MIST and its faculty members also provided guidance throughout the team’s journey, according to the organisers.