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Morocco’s Mohammed VI Polytechnic University in Benguerir, near Marrakech, has collaborated with global innovation platform Plug and Play Tech Center to create the first African “Plug and Play” office.
Plug and play offices are facilities equipped with advanced technology where entrepreneurs and startups can immediately get to work, without any prior setup.
The project, sponsored by Morocco’s OCP Group, will be the first of its kind in Africa and aims to turn Morocco into the leading destination for startups on the continent.
Plug and Play Morocco, as the project’s leaders decided to call it, will open its doors in January 2021. It will initially welcome entrepreneurs and startups focusing on the theme of smart cities.
Plug and Play Morocco will be the first external project established in “StartGate,” the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University’s innovation hub. The platform, launched earlier in 2020, hosts several startup accelerators and innovation laboratories.
“This partnership with Plug and Play will allow us to accelerate our plans to attract entrepreneurs and startups from Morocco and abroad, in order to contribute to the development of a dynamic ecosystem here in Benguerir,” said Sarrah Cherif D’Ouezzan, the manager of StartGate.
Meanwhile, Plug and Play Tech Center’s Chief Revenue Officer, Michael Olmstead, said the new facility will “serve as a springboard for startups in Morocco and beyond.”
Plug and Play currently has offices in 30 cities around the world, in Asia, Europe, and the Americas. The 2021 launch in Morocco will establish its presence in Africa.
According to Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, the projet will encourage entrepreneurs to launch startups, as it reduces investment risks.
