A conference titled “Morocco-Israel Connect to Innovate” that wrapped up on Thursday brought together government officials and 250 business leaders from the two countries in Casablanca to focus on ways to collaborate in the agritech, food tech, water tech, energy, logistics and other sectors.
These areas are the focus of King Mohamed VI’s multi-year economic and social roadmap called “The New Development Model.”
“Let us join forces and connect to innovate, to give a chance for peace for the sake of our children and the safety of all,” said André Azoulay, adviser to the king.
Israel’s Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Orit Farkash-Hacohen headlined the closing ceremony of the conference shortly after signing a new cooperation agreement in the fields of artificial intelligence, agricultural technology, water technology, energy, health care, space and automotive advances with her Moroccan counterpart, Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation Abdellatif Miraoui.
“There is great potential for Israel’s high-tech industry in the Kingdom of Morocco in the fields of water desalination and other water technologies, renewable energy, agriculture, sustainability and more,” she stated. “The strengths of the Israeli innovation industry have complimentary business opportunities in Morocco. We will continue to support the maximization of the economic potential between Morocco and Israel. There is a lot to aspire to.”
Avi Hasson, CEO of Start-Up Nation Central, a co-organizer of the event, said “in less than 24 hours since the conclusion of the conference, we have already seen new collaborations and deals made as a result of Israeli and Moroccan business people meeting at the event. There will be additional significant deals announced in the weeks to come, including the launch of many partnerships to solve the two nations’ human-capital challenges. The historic event marked the start of our shared innovation journey. But this is only the beginning.”
Start-Up Nation Central partnered with key Moroccan businesses and governmental agencies, including the Confédération Générale des Entreprises du Maroc (CGEM); AMDIE; ONEE; Crédit Agricole du Maroc; ADD; Foundation for Research, Development and Innovation in Science and Engineering (FRDISI); UM6P; Ithmar Capital; Tamwilcom; AMDL; SNTL; and Lina Holding. (Click here for a full list of partners and innovative companies that participated in the conference.)
