His Majesty King Mohammed VI stated that Morocco’s industrial sovereignty is a top priority given the fragility of global value chains and the significant dependence on imports, noting that the Moroccan industry “is called upon today to competitively promote local production to reduce this dependence on imports, enhance Morocco’s resilience, increase its competitiveness, and strengthen its position in promising sectors.”
In a message addressed to participants in the 1st edition of “National Industry Day”, which kicked off Wednesday in Casablanca, the Sovereign stressed the importance of being “fully equipped to enter a new industrial era in which the concept of sovereignty is both a goal and a means”.
“To rise to this challenge, our country needs an industry that incorporates new activities and skills, and creates more jobs,” stressed His Majesty the King in his message, which was delivered by the Minister of Industry and Trade, Ryad Mezzour, noting the need for an industry that places the creation of steady jobs for the youth at the heart of its priorities.
His Majesty the King also urged “the new industrial stakeholders to systematically seek to attain a balance between human capital and industrial project needs, in addition to enhancing managerial skills,” stressing the need to “provide the youth with solid training that is receptive to current developments and modern technology, within the framework of a greater public-private partnership.”
The Sovereign called for the implementation and expansion of support mechanisms to strengthen the technological infrastructure and research and development within Moroccan companies and the creation of ecosystem industry-academia-research centers to support innovation and create a growth engine of the Moroccan industry.
According to His Majesty the King, the industrial development Morocco seeks should be accompanied by initiatives to accelerate the transition to carbon-neutral manufacturing through the use of competitively-priced electricity from renewable sources, and increased energy efficiency.
In addition, the Sovereign stressed that Moroccan industry must contribute to the preservation of water resources through the rationalization of water use and the reuse of wastewater, noting that the Kingdom can become a model in the field of responsible, sustainable, and carbon-neutral patterns, which will enable Morocco to attract foreign investors seeking opportunities in the green economy.
His Majesty the King also called on the industrial sector to utilize the dynamic created by the new Investment Charter and to benefit from the numerous advantages the regions provide for private investment, in light of the particularities, resources, and potential of each region, thus creating, in each region, an economic hub capable of creating jobs and achieving the full productive potential of its territories.
The Sovereign also called upon the private sector to participate in areas where Moroccan brands are active, such as through investments in advanced, future-focused sectors that depend on innovation, and to support the emergence of a new generation of businesses across the Kingdom.
His Majesty concluded that this sector “will be able to contribute to the development projects that Morocco is undergoing and benefit the interests of our country and its citizens.”
