Morocco Moves Towards the Fourth Industrial Revolution, Automation

Rabat – Morocco has included a new addition to the country’s digitization plan, namely Industry 4.0, the latest advance in automation and data exchange for manufacturing technologies.

On April 5, The Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Digital Technologies, the Digital Development Agency (DDA), the Euro-Mediterranean University of Fez (UEMF), and the Fez Smart Factory have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to implement and advance the state of automation in Morocco.

The agreement will allow the North African country to stimulate economic growth through innovation, as well as reap the benefits provided by automation. The parties involved aim to implement the adoption of the latest technologies by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the country.

The MoU is a part of a concentrated effort to effectively implement advances made in the “digital ecosystem and innovation” sector, by 2025. This will greatly improve the competitiveness of Morocco’s industrial sector.

The MoU will also help improve SME’s manufacturing abilities and productivity,  through increased support for scientific research and innovation, and due to effective cooperation and sharing of knowledge.

Read also: Morocco Launches Program to Boost Industrial Green Transition

Through active participation in the fourth industrial revolution, and building on the achievements of the global digital transformation, Morocco will be able to become a technological hub for hi-tech manufacturing. 

Speaking at the signing ceremony, the Moroccan Minister of Industry Moulay Hafid Elalamy stressed that the partnership will allow Morocco to combine its “digital and industrial assets to develop a competitive digital ecosystem promoting the transfer of digital 4.0 technologies.”

The president of the UEMF, Mostapha Bousmina, lauded the Fez Smart Factory Project, which falls within Morocco’s Industrial Acceleration Plan. Bousmina noted that the factory will include engineering units, an incubator, a conference center, and a model 4.0 factory. This will make it possible to integrate artificial intelligence, augmented reality, 3D printing, and other innovations into Morocco’s industrial production tools.

The development comes under the framework of the “Consortium Fez Smart Factory” partnership, which brings together UEMF, the Fez/Taza branches of General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises (CGEM), the Fez-Meknes regional council, as well as the Alten Delivery Center Morocco.