Mohammedia – The Economic, Social, and Environmental Council (CESE) of Morocco released a report highlighting the necessity for a national, joint strategy on research, development, and innovation.
The report, mandated by the House of Councillors in February 2025, argues that science research is not yet being optimally utilized as an element in Moroccan economic expansion and competitiveness.
Even though there has been improvement in the development of universities, research facilities, and scientific publications, the CESE found that many programs fail to translate discoveries into practical innovations benefiting the economy.
The report states that Morocco’s total research and development expenditure is only 0.75% of gross domestic product, far less than the world average of 2.68% and the European average of 2.24%.
The Council warned that such low expenditure discourages the country from the creation of new technologies, the growth of industries, and the maintenance of scientific staff. Most of the funding for research still comes from the public, and private sector contributions have been estimated at less than 30%.
According to the CESE, universities and scientific institutions have expanded in recent years, and Morocco’s indexed scientific production has tripled over the course of a decade.
But there is no coordination of the public, academic, and private sectors, an out-of-date legal framework, and insufficient incentives for companies to invest in innovation, according to the report.
The Council noted that a number of provisions of the 2000 law on higher education, including empowering universities to set up subsidiaries for technology transfer, are yet to be implemented.
The study refers to several successful examples of applied research in Morocco, such as developing generic medicines, new antibiotics, and technology to mine mineral deposits previously considered impossible to use.
Developments in renewable energy, battery storage, and drone technology also exemplify the growing ability of the nation in significant fields. Nevertheless, none of these achievements have been upscaled across the economy and have remained isolated.
Need for a national framework
In order to bridge these gaps, the CESE calls for a single national framework of research, innovation, and industrial policy. It recommends amending the higher education law to accord greater autonomy to universities and creating full-time researcher and doctoral student legal status.
The Council also recommends raising total expenditure on research to 3% of GDP by 2030 with more private-sector participation and regional involvement.
The report evokes the role of the National Research Council, created in 2021 and yet to take its place to coordinate research policy.
The strengthening of this institution, the CESE indicates, would facilitate improved planning, monitoring, and evaluation of science projects across the nation.
It also suggests the improvement of the financing mechanisms of the National Fund for Scientific Research and Development, funded mainly by telecommunications companies and has seen its revenues decline in recent years.
Other challenges are identified by the report, including bureaucratic procedures that delay the launching of research projects, an absence of qualified technical staff, and a lack of performance-based systems.
The report finds that few Moroccan university patents are commercialized, and few research outputs are turned into a product or service.
Despite these shortcomings, the Council is aware of growing interest in research and innovation at the regional level.
There are regions, such as Rabat-Salé-Kénitra and Casablanca-Settat, which have established programs to support scientific development and create hubs of innovation linked with universities.
Morocco possesses the human capital and institutional base it needs to make research a true driver of growth, the report concludes.
It adds however, that without a clear and adequately funded plan connecting academy, industry, and government, the nation stands to miss the opportunity to enhance its competitiveness on the global stage. The Council’s recommendations aim to make research and innovation leading drivers of sustainable development and technological sovereignty.
Read Also: UM6P Partners with INDH to Link
