Montek's First Contract : Virunga National Park

Technology developed through frontline conservation practice in China’s Giant Panda National Park will support ranger safety and field communications in one of the world’s most important protected areas.

October 26, 2026 — Montek Technology signed its first contract with Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The signing ceremony was held by video conference, linking three locations. Internationally renowned conservationist Emmanuel de Merode, Director of Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Robin Laime, the Park's Head of Information Systems, joined from the DRC, where the Ebola outbreak remains severe. In Yerevan, Armenia, Shawn Zhang, founder of Montek and Paradise Foundation, was attending the UN Biodiversity Conference and presenting the Montek system. Montek CEO Ma Jian joined from Laohegou in Pingwu County, Sichuan Province. The two parties completed the signing online, together marking a moment worth remembering.

Before the signing, Emmanuel and Robin had made three visits to Laohegou to examine how the Montek system operates in frontline protected-area management. They focused on communications, personnel positioning and emergency response in areas without public network coverage. The three field visits gave the Virunga team an in-depth understanding of Montek's products and the frontline conservation experience behind them.

Emmanuel said, “I'm very pleased that we can make it more formal today. It's based on a very strong set of shared values on how to protect the planet. We're really delighted to take this partnership forward, and I very much believe in this first project, which is to build out systems for protecting communities under very difficult circumstances, and in the Chinese technology that is brought to bear to protect communities in Congo and help protect the forest as well.” Robin added, “From Laohegou to Virunga, we share the same mission. Today is the start of a long and fruitful partnership.”

The agreement marks the moment when Montek, a technology company born in Pingwu County, Sichuan Province, formally brings management tools developed through frontline work in China's protected areas and national parks to Virunga National Park, one of the world's most important and challenging protected areas.

Montek Technology is a wholly owned subsidiary of Paradise Foundation focused on developing technology for ecological conservation. Entrusted by the Pingwu County Government, Paradise Foundation manages the 153-square-kilometre Laohegou Protected Area within Giant Panda National Park in Sichuan.

Virunga A World Heritage Site

Established in 1925 and covering approximately 7,900 square kilometres, Virunga National Park is one of the most biodiverse regions on Earth and an important habitat for the rare mountain gorilla. Virunga's ecological value belongs to all humanity, while the challenges of protecting it are equally extraordinary.

For many years, Virunga has faced threats from armed conflict and poaching. Its rangers work in dangerous natural conditions while confronting risks to their lives. More than 200 Virunga rangers have been killed while carrying out anti-poaching duties. This year, the Democratic Republic of the Congo has also faced a severe Ebola outbreak. Frontline medical and emergency systems have been pushed close to their limits, making already dangerous ranger operations even more difficult.

Despite these difficulties, Emmanuel and his team made the long journey to Laohegou Protected Area in Pingwu, Sichuan, several times for field visits. He was not looking for flashy equipment, but for an effective system that could genuinely protect rangers' lives in field environments with no public network coverage.

The Contract Is Not the End

It Is the Beginning of Working Side by Side

During the video signing, both teams reached a shared understanding. The contract signed today is not the end of a commercial delivery. It is the beginning of working side by side and using technology to protect nature and the lives of those serving on the front line.

From Pingwu in Sichuan to Virunga in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Montek is turning long-term experience from China's protected areas into technological capabilities that can cross borders and serve different ecosystems.