Marrakech: Several partnership agreements in the aeronautics industry were signed on Wednesday, on the sidelines of the 7th Marrakech Air Show (MAS 2024).
According to Agence Marocaine De Presse, the signing ceremony was attended by Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch, Minister of Industry and Trade Ryad Mezzour, Minister Delegate to the Head of Government, in charge of National Defense Administration Abdeltif Loudyi, and other Moroccan and foreign civil and military figures.
The first memorandum of understanding, signed between the Moroccan government and Embraer, aims to launch joint projects in the Moroccan aeronautics industry, covering fields of commercial aviation, defense, and urban air mobility. Initialled by Minister of Industry and Commerce Ryad Mezzour, Minister Delegate in charge of Investment, Convergence and Evaluation of Public Policies Karim Zidane, Managing Director of the Moroccan Investment and Export Development Agency (AMDIE) Ali Seddiki, and President and CEO of Embraer Commercial Aviation Arjan Meijer, the agreement covers opportunities in commercial aviation, defense, and urban air mobility. This provides a framework for building an integrated sourcing ecosystem in Morocco, fostering innovation and economic growth, and contributing to job creation and local skills development.
This cooperation project will also encompass a wide range of areas to be developed in progressive stages, including training and MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Operations). Other areas for potential collaboration include Research and Technology, particularly in decarbonization, clean mobility, sustainable aviation, and sustainable aviation fuels. The potential economic impact of all projects, once completed, including maintenance, repair and overhaul, training, ecosystem growth, and other areas, is estimated at 300 million USD with the creation of 300 jobs by 2030, and up to 1 billion USD and the creation of 1,000 jobs by 2035.
The second partnership agreement, signed by Minister of Industry and Commerce Ryad Mezzour, Minister Delegate to the Head of Government, in charge of National Defense Administration Abdeltif Loudyi, and President of the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) Hicham El Habti, relates to the creation of an advanced manufacturing research center in partnership with Boeing, named The Africa Center for Manufacturing Excellence (ACME). This center, of which Boeing will be a founding member, will be part of UM6P and will be located in Morocco (Nouaceur). ACME is the first R and D center in Africa to bear the internationally-oriented Boeing label, based on a consortium model that relies on the collaboration of companies from different sectors to develop R and D, propose innovative solutions, and create added value for its members.
During the ceremony, a third agreement was initialled by Managing Director of Deposit and Management Fund (CDG) Khalid Safir and CEO of Sabena Aerospace Stéphane Burton, to bolster cooperation between the two parties in areas of common interest. Similarly, three agreements were signed between SAFRAN and Moroccan partners to set up a new maintenance and repair (MRO) workshop dedicated to aircraft engines. Located near Casablanca airport, the project will be operational by 2026.
These agreements follow on from the Memorandum of Understanding signed last Monday in Rabat by His Majesty King Mohammed VI and French President Emmanuel Macron. Inked by President of Safran Aircraft Engines Jean-Paul Alary, and Director General of Moroccan Aerospace Industries Group (GIMAS), the first MoU aims to meet the needs of the existing maintenance workshop (Safran Aircraft Engine Services Morocco 2) with Royal Air Maroc, and of this new workshop dedicated to LEAP. Starting the first quarter of 2025, this agreement provides for the promotion and initiation of training courses accommodating 60 to 100 trainees a year. This agreement will benefit from existing infrastructure or those under development, within leading training institutes.
The second agreement, signed by CDG CEO Khalid Safir and Safran Aircraft Engines Chairman Jean-Paul Alary, relates to the offer of selling a 6-hectare plot of land to MedZ (a company owned by CDG). Inked by President of Safran Aircraft Engines Jean-Paul Alary and President of Midparc Hamid Benbrahim El Andaloussi, the third agreement concerns a new workshop located in the Midparc free zone (Casablanca airport zone) and the signing of a service contract with Midparc to implement the associated real estate project. Eventually, this new maintenance site will employ over 600 people and have a maintenance capacity of 150 engines a year, thus keeping up with the success of the LEAP engine, particularly for airlines in Africa, the Middle East, and Europe.