Enactus Morocco kicked off its sixth annual Sustainable Innovation Fest (SIF) yesterday in Casablanca, bringing together hundreds of student entrepreneurs to celebrate innovation and compete for the chance to represent Morocco at the global Enactus World Cup in Thailand.
The three-day festival, co-financed by the European Union and organized in partnership with Spark and other collaborators, opened with a focus on social entrepreneurship and sustainable innovation.
“Today [Tuesday] we are launching the Sustainable Innovation Fest 2025,” said Saif Eddine Laalej, Enactus Morocco’s Operations Manager.
“During the next three days, we will celebrate youth, celebrate the Moroccan entrepreneurship and innovation, and also host many different panels, live podcasts, many Agora activities under the Green Forward program.”
The opening day featured a panel discussion on green innovation, a live podcast session, and the first round of student team presentations as competitors pitched their sustainable business ideas to panels of expert judges.
Green technology at focus
The festival’s focus on environmental innovation aligns with Morocco’s broader economic strategy and the interests of its young population.
Salma Karim, Head of Human Capital and Innovation at the Agency of Digital Development, participated in a panel during the opening day’s green technology panel.
“Today was the first day of the Sustainable Innovation Fest organized by Enactus,” Karim explained. “It was an occasion to discuss during a panel the opportunities of green tech and its impact on the Moroccan economy.”
Karim pointed out the natural connection between Moroccan youth and environmental technology.
“We highlighted the fact that Morocco’s youth is very interested in technology and environment and it’s a great occasion to catalyze this interest in terms of concrete business opportunity for the Moroccan youth,” she said.
Student teams present water conservation solutions
Among the competing teams, several focused on addressing Morocco’s water challenges through innovative approaches.
Jihane Amira from Enactus FSJES Sale presented, along with her team, the Aqua Charbon project, which addresses water conservation issues.
“Today we assisted the first day of SIF 2025. It was all great,” Amira said. “First of all, we presented our project Aqua Charbon that related to the competition. Moroccan water race. It was great. It was great competition. The competitors were great too.”
Her team will advance to the semi-finals, which take place on the second day of the festival. “Tomorrow [Wednesday] will be the semi-finals, and I hope this year we’ll take the champion with us,” she noted.
Another water-focused project came from Jaber Yassine, a finance student at the Polydisciplinary Faculty in Larache. His team developed Bio Remede, also focused on water preservation.
“Me and my friends and my team, we have an idea called Biomed and it’s about preserving water,” Yassine explained. “We are honored to reach this stage of this competition and we thank all the staff and Enactus Morocco for this.”
Beyond competition: learning and development
For many participants, the festival represents more than just a competition. Yassine pointed out the developmental value of the experience.
“It’s not about winning, even I know it’s a competition, but it’s not about winning more than reaching this level and show to everyone how we can reach with our ideas and our developing ideas,” he said.
The opening day’s programming reinforced this educational aspect. Amira commended the quality of the panel discussions and podcast sessions.
“The first of the day had the panel. They were so great. We learned so much, so much information with a lot of experienced people. And then we had the podcast. We had the pleasure of attending the podcast with Mr. Yassine and his guest. It was all great.”
Road to Thailand
The competition will culminate with the national finals, where one team will earn the right to represent Morocco at the Enactus World Cup in Thailand.
Laalej noted that the festival will determine “who will represent Morocco at the International Nexus World Cup in Thailand during the national Morocco finals.”
As the festival continues through July 10, participants will engage in additional panels, workshops, and the Innovation Agora, where teams can showcase their projects to a broader audience.
The event demonstrates Enactus Morocco’s commitment to fostering entrepreneurial thinking among the country’s university students while addressing pressing environmental and social challenges.
The opening day’s success suggests that Morocco’s young entrepreneurs are ready to tackle complex challenges through innovative business solutions, positioning themselves as leaders in the country’s transition toward a more sustainable economy.
