Bpifrance Urges French Companies to Embrace ‘Co-Industrialization’ in Morocco

Marrakech – French public investment bank Bpifrance has positioned Morocco as a “strategic growth hub” for France, encouraging French entrepreneurs to move beyond traditional export models toward comprehensive industrial partnerships.

In an article published Wednesday in its online magazine “Big Media,” Bpifrance outlined how Morocco “is no longer just a commercial partner, but is progressively becoming a strategic growth hub for France.”

The institution detailed Morocco’s transformation driven by major infrastructure investments in renewable energy, desalination projects, and preparations for hosting the 2030 World Cup, alongside the ongoing hosting of AFCON 2025.

This evolving landscape opens vast, high-value opportunities for French industrial companies. Ludovic Vallon, CEO of Mastergrid, a high-voltage electrical systems specialist with €120 million in revenue, exemplifies this shift through his company’s establishment in Morocco since 2020.

“We see a country in full development, in complete transformation, with major events like AFCON or the World Cup that are further energizing the country,” Vallon said in a statement to the magazine.

The urgent need for infrastructure extends beyond sporting events. For Mastergrid, the challenge involves “making electricity distribution reliable throughout Morocco in preparation for these major events” while supporting local industrialists.

Opportunity paired with fierce competition

Marie-Albane Prieur, Bpifrance’s Export Development Director, confirmed this multi-sector acceleration, noting “major infrastructure projects being initiated,” including the high-speed rail project where Alstom has secured a foothold, alongside expanding healthcare requirements, rising security needs, and major desalination plant projects.

Yet, this promising market presents significant challenges. Prieur cautioned that “Morocco is not an entrepreneurial terrain to take lightly, it is competitive, with many Germans, Europeans generally, and increasingly Chinese companies exporting there.”

This competitive reality demands a fundamental rethinking of strategy, forcing a decisive break from traditional business models toward more agile, locally embedded, and long-term approaches.

Rather than simple product exports, Bpifrance advocates for comprehensive industrial partnerships. “This is a blind spot that many entrepreneurs neglect when exporting to Morocco. Moroccans are not just looking for suppliers, but for industrial partners capable of transmitting know-how,” the bank noted.

Prieur stressed this co-industrialization concept: “We tell our French entrepreneurs: to develop, you must go create.”

The strategy centers on “injecting French know-how and capital from France to realize and develop factories that allow African countries to keep their added value at home.”

This approach transforms French companies from external suppliers into integrated partners within Morocco’s industrial ecosystem.

Vallon’s experience validates this methodology. Mastergrid focuses on “local added value creation” rather than dispatching experts from metropolitan France.

“We envision doing this either through organic growth with recruitment and investing in human resources and equipment on Moroccan territory, and we also envision doing it through partnerships with local companies,” Vallon explained. His ultimate objective involves becoming “truly a Moroccan company with collaborators trained and recruited in Morocco.”

Morocco as market and gateway

However, successful implementation demands meticulous preparation across administrative and cultural dimensions. Vallon cautioned that “there are laws, criteria to respect, and it requires preparation because if you don’t prepare properly, it can take long months.”

Practical requirements include securing premises before establishing banking relationships: “You must first have rented premises to have an address and justify opening a bank account.”

Beyond administrative hurdles, cultural adaptation proves equally critical. Prieur stressed that human connection determines success, requiring entrepreneurs to “travel, go there regularly to maintain the relationship.” This relational approach distinguishes successful partnerships from failed ventures.

To mitigate inherent risks, Bpifrance provides three financial mechanisms and tools. Prospection Insurance (Assurance Prospection) offers “an advance for international development needs that is only repayable in case of success,” supporting necessary travel expenses.

The International Project Guarantee (Garantie de Projet à l’International) covers investment risks, where “if the French company sends €100,000 in shareholder current account to its subsidiary and it doesn’t work, we write a check for half of what they invested,” providing 50% coverage when French companies invest in Moroccan subsidiaries.

Export Credit financing (Crédit Export) enables lending directly to foreign buyers or states to purchase French products.

Vallon utilized this banking support during Mastergrid’s Moroccan launch: “It allowed us to have bank counter-guarantees that helped us significantly in our initial development.” These tools prove particularly valuable given Morocco’s dual role as both destination market and potential African gateway.

The geographic configuration offers strategic advantages. Prieur noted Morocco’s spatial advantage leverage “as a crossroads,” citing Tanger Med port’s competition with European ports. However, pragmatic companies like Mastergrid prioritize achieving “critical mass in Morocco before exporting from Morocco” to broader African markets.

For companies considering Moroccan expansion, Bpifrance recommends beginning with regional consultation rather than immediate travel. Prieur concluded: “It is important to see Bpifrance teams already in the region, near you, it’s the entry point for entrepreneurs.”