Space for innovation to
create new jobs in Morocco

Supporting Moroccan electronics companies on their innovation journey

Morocco’s electronics sector is booming. The demand from industries that rely on electronic inputs – such as aviation, vehicle manufacturing, and renewable energy – is growing in Morocco and internationally. The country is committed to take advantage of this positive development by positioning itself as a hub for the manufacture of industrial electronic products in the region. The geographical proximity to the European market and its substantial commercial appeal are an ideal basis to use the sector’s boom for increasing exports to Europe.

The long-term development of the electronics industry in Morocco largely depends on the ability of the sector’s companies to innovate. However, innovation facilities for electronics in the country are limited in number and in terms of accessibility. With the advice and financial support of Invest for Jobs, the Electronics, Microelectronics and Mechatronics Cluster of Morocco (CE3M) came up with a solution to face this investment obstacle.

CE3M is a Moroccan association with around 60 members, including companies, training institutions and technical centres. Together they aim to promote Morocco’s industrial potential in the electronics sector by encouraging the development of innovative electronic products and solutions.

In February 2021, the association developed a new prototyping platform to enable companies in Morocco’s electronics industry to innovate in a more effective and affordable way.

A platform for developing new electronic products

The prototyping platform by CE3M is a state-of-the-art technological facility situated in Casablanca, a port city in western Morocco. Since 2021, the platform features innovative tools and technologies and provides the spaces needed for companies to learn, innovate and create. The platform is run by a team of experts and technicians who offer a wide range of business support services: mainly in the areas of technical advice, assistance in making prototypes and training in 3D printing and measurement.

One of the platform’s technical features is a 3D printer that enables local companies to produce prototypes cost and time effectively. 3D printing is a game-changer in a wide variety of areas as it allows for the creation of three-dimensional objects using digital models. It can be used to rapidly create prototypes, customised items and complex structures that would otherwise be difficult to produce.

Complementarily, the prototyping platform features a 3D measuring machine with which technological components can be measured to a high degree of precision. It uses laser or tactile sensors to capture 3D data from objects and verifies whether they meet certain required specifications. 3D measurement is a crucial step in the processes of developing new products and in quality control procedures for manufactured products.

The prototyping platform is available to Moroccan companies specialised in electronics and to manufacturers in the electrical, automotive and metallurgical industries, enabling them to conduct their research and development processes effectively. The platform also has the advantage of affordability and proximity for these companies, which previously had to use foreign laboratories that charged higher prices for these services.

From innovation to job creation

As of 2023, the establishment of the CE3M prototyping platform has resulted in the creation of 30 new good jobs, including seven at CE3M. Other jobs are positioned at companies belonging to the association that have directly benefited from the platform by developing new products and consequently expanded their operations.

Further, experts from the platform gave a 12-day training course in 3D printing and measurement to 36 employees from member companies.

Even after project completion, CE3M aims to promote the potential of the local electronics market and availability of electronic goods through the prototyping platform. Thanks to the innovations it enables, Moroccan and foreign-owned companies based in the country will be able to use electronic components and systems made in Morocco to manufacture their products rather than having to import them. This will bring production costs down and therefore increase competitiveness. This cost-effective approach is expected to stimulate growth and enhance the sector's capacity to generate new employment opportunities.

CE3M’s CEO Mr Nourdine Bouyaakoub puts it this way: “This project will enable companies to expand into new markets at a time when big international groups are reviewing their procurement policies, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic. These international players are increasingly turning to neighbouring European countries as suppliers. Morocco is well placed to secure a sizeable share of the electronics market, enabling it to improve its balance of trade in this sector.”

The CE3M prototyping platform was supported by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in the context of the Special Initiative "Decent Work for a Just Transition" of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).