Morocco - ANIMA Investment Network

© EuroMed@Change 2013
1
Table of contents
1. Mediterranean overview...................................p.5
Building EuroMed partnerships
Authors
This guide is a Doing business toolkit dedicated to
clusters, SMEs, or entrepreneurs interested in
developing business partnerships in the ICT sector in
Morocco. It provides an overview of the main
opportunities available for the private sector, as well
as concrete and useful data for those interested
parties who require more detailed information
(contacts, agenda of events, etc.).
This Business guide has been prepared by Bertrand
Copigneaux, with contributions from Franck Le Gall,
Marc Pattinson, Asmaa Messaoudi and Soraya
Bernard.
References
Disclaimer
The Mediterranean Business Guide, focus on ICT in
Morocco has been prepared by INNO AG under the
EuroMed@Change Project, a Preparatory Action
initiated by the European Parliament and
implemented by the European Commission (DG
Enterprise and Industry).
EuroMed@Change proposes new dynamics for SME
and cluster internationalisation between Europe and 4
targeted partner countries: Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt
and Lebanon. It is managed by four organisations
from across Europe (ANIMA Investment network as
Project leader, the European Business Innovation
Centre Network, INNO AG and the Fondation Sophia
Antipolis as partners) and it coordinates with more
than 45 associated regional businesses, finance and
innovation networks.
The author would like to thank the Ministry of Trade
and ICT of Morocco, The Moroccan Investment
Development Agency, and the Morocco Observatory
for Information and Communication Technology
(OMTIC) for their support and contributions.
This publication has been produced with the support
of the European Commission. The contents of this
publication are the sole responsibility of INNO AG and
can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting
the views of the European Union”.
Copyright
© EuroMed@Change May 2013. No part of this
publication may be reproduced without express
authorisation. All rights reserved.
© EuroMed@Change 2013
2. Market trends and opportunities......................p.7
3. Foreign direct investments..............................p.9
7. ICT funds operating in
Morocco............................................................p.11
4. Key actors and events....................................p.13
5. Recent national policies................................. p.15
6. Opportunities and international programmes... p.17
List of acronyms

AMDI: Moroccan
Agency
Investment
Development

ANPME : National agency for promotion of small
and medium enterprises

ARNT: Regulation agency of telecommunications

CIGOV: eGovernment Inter ministerial committee

DHS: Moroccan Dirhams

EFTA: European Free Trade Area

EOA: European off-shoring association

FDI: Foreign Direct Investment

FNEM: National federation of e-commerce

ITU: International Telecom Union

OMTIC: Moroccan Observatery of Information
and Communication Technologies

RMIE: Moroccan Incubation and spin-off network
3
Mediterranean overview
The two sides of the Mediterranean represent 7% of
the world population, and represent the leading GDP
on the planet as they produce 15% of the world’s
annual wealth and carry out 16% of trade. In the
North, ICT represents around 2% of GDP, and in the
South, 3%, 4% or even 5%1. The development of
ICT is not only contributing to growth but is also
having an important social impact on societies, as the
Arab spring of 2011 has shown. The level of
development is still unequal between the two sides of
Mediterranean, but the South has shown a strong
dynamism in catching up and is in several domains
technologically and scientifically comparable to the
North.
A skilled generation
Consumption of ICT technologies has developed
rapidly in the Mediterranean South. Progress in
mastering and accessing mobile phone and IT
technologies is good, and the computerization of
society and the economy is following. Mediterranean
consumers can now be considered as advanced
users. Mobile phones are used for remote banking,
getting economic information, accessing emails, etc...
This assimilation of ICTs is occurring rapidly in the
South because of the rapid extension of networks
access and of the specific demographic structure of
1
IPEMED (Institute
Mediterranean Region)
of
Economic
Prospective
in
the region. Young people in the South are making
considerable generational impact in the use and
acceptance of new technologies and media. This
phenomenon is particularly strong since inhabitants
south of the Mediterranean are on average ten years
younger than those in the North. Education is crucial
here and the role played by ICTs in this area is
constantly increasing, especially as eLearning
develops and offers new opportunities.
Figure 1 - Network penetration (source ITU)
Developing networks
Although the development of fixed networks
infrastructure in the South remains behind the level of
the North, the growth in mobile networks has made it
possible for countries in the Mediterranean South to
rapidly catch up with the equipment levels of
countries in the North.
In most of the southern countries the widespread
access to broadband will mainly happen through
mobile networks( few exceptions exist - Lebanon and
Turkey where the fixed infrastructure has been
already well developed). If penetration rates of
mobile networks are compared, there is no clear
divide between countries in the South and North
(European Union). The move from fixed to mobile
networks has been very strong in the Mediterranean
South. In the first decade of the 21st century traffic
mainly travelled through fixed networks, often via
shared channels. In 2010 it was travelling through
mobile networks fostering its rapid growth.
© EuroMed@Change 2013
Figure 2 - Submarine cable network in the
Mediterranean region
5
Voluntary policies
Countries in the South have acknowledged the
importance of ICT and set up ambitious government
policies to support the deployment, use and
development of ICT. National strategies and plans for
the development of ICT have been drafted for most
of the countries. Spreading the ICTs in countries with
young populations is a strategic line of development
with the goal to build a knowledge-based economy
integrated into markets in the North.
Most of the national policies include strong efforts on
network deployment and access to ICT (including
policies to reduce the access costs to internet
connections).
The development of the eGovernment initiative is also
ambitious in the Mediterranean South region as it is
considered an opportunity to reinforce the quality of
administrations.
Digital literacy is also considered an important goal in
particular offering opportunities to young people in
developing countries who are keen to access the new
communication tools. Most countries have set up
ambitious training and education programmes for
ICT.
To offer local opportunities to this emerging skilled
workforce the governments are developing programs
targeted towards the development of local
entrepreneurship such as incubators networks ,
clusters and technological parks (like the Egyptian
6
Smart Village which specialises in cutting-edge
technologies, and CasaNearshore Park in Morocco,
that is set to generate 30,000 jobs).
Most countries also directly target out-sourcing and
have aggressive development and investment policies
offering numerous advantages and tax breaks to
foreign investors.
Dynamic economies, global impact
The development of the ICT business ecosystem is
unequal between the different countries of the south
but still mostly characterized by dynamic recent
developments and strong levels of Foreign Direct
Investment (FDI). Some countries such as Egypt and
Tunisia have been rewarded for their long term
commitment and voluntary policies toward the
development of ICT with very dynamic local business
environments. Others (such as Morocco) have
targeted more strongly outsourcing and have become
an important center of North Africa with the presence
of ICT multinationals (IBM, SAP, Microsoft, HP…).
Others such as Lebanon have created a cutting edge
education system which produces a highly skilled
workforce. The societal and economic impact of the
rapid spread of ICT in the Mediterranean South
region is very strong and offers good cooperation
opportunities with the North, towards the creation of
a digital Mediterranean region, re-establishing the
Mediterranean as a cradle of exchange and
communication.
© EuroMed@Change 2013
Market trends and opportunities
Country Situation
The Information Technology (IT) sector is one of the
most important sectors in the Moroccan economy due
to it contribution to human and economic
development. This sector has a market size of more
than 3.8 billion Euros and represents more than 7%
of the national GPD. Over the next 3 years, the
market is expected to grow by 60 % and reach a
value of 6.3 billion Euros by 2015. More than 38 000
people are employed in this sector, and it is expected
to reach over 58 000 in the next four years. To this
end, strong support is given by the Moroccan
government to the ICT sector.
Interior market opportunities
Ranking 76 on 155 in the access index of the ITU2
and fourth of the southern Mediterranean region,
Morocco has strongly improved its network
infrastructure in recent years. The fixed telephone has
also improved but with only 11 fixed telephones lines
per 100 inhabitants, Morocco is still a some way
behind, compared to other countries. The fixed
telephone has now been mainly replaced by mobiles
phones. The mobile network is however very well
deployed with an equipment rate of 98,4% and 113,3
mobile subscriptions per 100 habitants. Mobile
internet also contributed to the development of the
internet access by covering more than 4% of the
2
International Telecommunication Union, Measuring the Information
Society 2012.
population (when it is only 2% in similar countries).
Despite the mobile contribution, access to internet is
quite low for parts of the population (6%) compared
to the ones with a computer (10%). Most of the
companies are equipped with computers (98%) but
the employee’s equipment rate is only 57%. 3
Morocco is the first country in North Africa to install a
3G network and it ranks first on the ICT development
index in this region. Digital literacy is one of the main
objectives of the Moroccan government in the ICT
field. ICT training was integrated into the education
system in 1999. The national strategy for ICT
development focused on five key themes that are
important for facilitating the role of knowledge in
development and for the effective use of ICTs:
education, governance, private sector development,
e-commerce, and access. As a result of this policy,
the telecommunications cost dropped, the number of
cyber cafés and access to computers and Internet,
even in small towns has risen considerably over the
last few years.
The Moroccan population is young and active with
64% of population aged under 34 and an active
population of 12 million. Secondary education
enrolment rate4 is up to 70%, and 7.84%5 of students
are studying in the field of ICT in 2010.
3
4
5
Figure 3 - Network Readiness Index of Morocco 2012
Omtic
World Bank data
omtic
© EuroMed@Change 2013
(source: World Economic Forum)
7
ICT training is also important to Moroccans as 34% of
Higher Education establishments can train students in
ICT at one of the 54 ICT training centres. This
enables Morocco to benefit from a qualified labour
force that has good ICT skills and knowledge.
Export & off shoring opportunities
Morocco has become a major destination for
investment from francophone countries in the call
centre sector, ICT off-shoring, as well as in the
outsourcing of business processes. Moreover, the
sector has had considerable success. In one year,
more than 50 companies have expressed an interest
in Casanearshore and Rabat Technopolis. The first
two instalments of Casanearshore are now completely
booked. The sector has witnessed the creation of
more than 20,000 jobs between 2005 and 2008.
Morocco has significantly contributed to this success
by making the off-shoring business as one of the
pillars of its industrial strategy, and has set up a
dynamic policy to enhance Morocco’s attractive
qualities to foreign clients. In 2012 Morocco was
elected best destination for off shoring by the
European off-shoring Association (EOA).
the Export volume, Spain with 18.2%, India 6.9%,
Brazil with 5.1% and United-States with 4.6%,
showing the strengthening position of the Moroccan
ICT sector in the world economy.
The ICT industry in Morocco covers a large range of
activities such as telecommunications, audio and
video, computer and related equipment; electronic
components;
and
other
information
and
communication technology goods. International
companies are also interested in the skills and knowhow available in Morocco in several professional areas
related
to
information
systems:
engineering
consultancy and information systems, integration,
geographical information systems, development of
digital content in Arabic and decision systems.
The ICT business environment is dynamic in Morocco
with the support of technoparks (such as the CasaTechnopark), incubators, business events (MED-IT),
and investment funds (Maroc Numeric Fund, Media
Network Fund).
8
Dell has been in Morocco since 2001 and has
contributed to the creation of more than 2200 jobs.
Anwar Dehar, the former head of Dell Morocco has
declared that “Dell’s choice to come to Morocco
responded primarily to operational objectives. Dell
wanted to develop a service site, which would
minimize costs, but the linguistic criteria and the
geographical situation were also Morocco’s strong
assets. “
Dell opened in 2012 in Casanearshore the biggest
business centre in the Europe-Africa-Middle Region,
with a surface area of 20 000m².
Exports of ICT related activities represent a
substantial proportion of total exported services,
accounting for 20.1% of total exports in 2010 6. The
main export destinations are France with 20.3% of
6
MOROCCO THE BEST DESTINATION FOR
OFFSHORING
World bank
© EuroMed@Change 2013
Foreign direct investment
ICT is the most important sector in terms of FDI in
the country. In 2010 this sector represented over a
quarter of the Foreign Direct Investments in Morocco.
In 2011-2012 Morocco was highlighted by the
Financial Times - “African Countries of the Future” as the most attractive African destination for Foreign
Direct Investment, replacing South Africa that had
held this rank for three consecutive years. In 2011,
Morocco successfully attracted 70 new projects,
which, according to the report, “demonstrates the
growing trust of foreign investors in the Moroccan
business climate”. Morocco is one of the “best per
forming countries in the region in 2011”, with a 40%
increase in the number of projects and an increase of
over 50% in capital investments
Policy toward investors
The policy toward investors is handled by the AMDI
(Moroccan Investment Development Agency). It offers
a series of incentives to national and foreign investors
as part of its strategy to attract investment in growth
sectors. A series of exemptions and tax breaks are
offered by various Ministries and government
agencies to support companies in their creation and
operational phases.
significant flow of domestic and foreign private
capital.
Morocco implemented major reforms including
publishing a decree in May 2011 that simplified
business start-up procedures. The minimal capital
requirement for starting a business was eliminated,
cutting start-up costs by 42%. Half of the six
procedures for starting a business were eliminated,
and the company name search can now be handled
online at the one-stop shop AMDI.
In addition, Morocco eased the administrative burden
of paying taxes for firms by enhancing electronic filing
and payment of the corporate income tax and value
added tax. The two electronic systems are now used
by the majority of taxpayers.
Figure 4 - Tax rates in Morocco (source AMDI)
MOROCCO : FDI and partnership project
announcements in ICT (2003-2013, ANIMA-MIPO)
Morocco also strengthened investor protections by
allowing minority shareholders to obtain any nonconfidential corporate document during trial.
Morocco has liberalized its economy by easing
procedures, providing better protection to private
operators through introducing new laws aimed at
improving investment conditions and acquiring a
Data processing and software
Télécom and Internet
© EuroMed@Change 2013
9
The 10 biggest FDI announcement in ICT in Tunisia (2003-2012, ANIMA-MIPO)
Investor
Origin
Vivendi
Vivendi /
Telecom
/
France
2006 Brownfield
Financial JV, The telecommunications company to buy 40% stake in
partial
Meditel, Morocco's second mobile operator from its
2010 acquisition
Moroccan shareholders CDG et FinanceCom
640
Kuwait
Financial JV, The 50/50 consortium of the its fellow company Al Ajial to
partial
acquire a 31% stake in Wana, Morocco's third mobile
2009 acquisition
telecom operator
253,6
2006 Brownfield
Telefonica, which owns 32.2% of Meditel, will contribute to
the necessary investments induced by the operator's new
fixed and UMTS licences
145,03
2006 Brownfield
PT, which owns a 32.2% share in Meditel, will contribute to
the necessary investments induced by the operator's new
fixed and UMTS phone licences
2008 Brownfield
Telefonica, which owns 32.2% of Meditel, will contribute to
the MAD 4.2 billion investments in infrastructures planned
over 2 years
2008 Brownfield
PT, which owns 32,2% of Meditel, will contribute to the
MAD 4.2 billion investments in infrastructures planned over
2 years
France
2003 Greenfield
New design and software development in Rabat
Number of FDI projects
1200
14
1000
12
10
8
600
499
Spain
Invested amounts (€m)
Number of partnerships
project
800
2009 Brownfield
Portugal Telecom
/ Meditel
Portugal
ST
Microelectronics
667,5
France
Spain
Morocco FDI and partnership
announcements in ICT (ANIMA-MIPO)
1100
Maroc Telecom, a 53%-owned subsidiary of Vivendi, to
launch a massive 2-years investment plan for the expansion
& modernisation of its infrastructures
Portugal Telecom
/ Meditel
Portugal
Telefonica
€m
Vivendi's Maroc Telecom unveils a Euro 663 million
investment plan including a net job creation of 150 over 3
years
Maroc
Telefonica
Meditel
Project
France
Maroc
Zain (MTC)
10
Type
Financial JV,
partial
VU increases its share in Maroc Télécom to 51%, up from
2004 acquisition
35%
France Telecom /
Orange
France
Vivendi /
Telecom
Date
6
400
4
200
2
0
0
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Morocco: Origin of FDI announcements in ICT
(in nb of projects, 2003-2013, ANIMA-MIPO)
45
40
35
145
30
25
118,6
20
42
15
10
118,6
100
© EuroMed@Change 2013
5
France
12
8
5
USA+
Canada
Spain
0
Other EU
4
2
Gulf
Other
countries
ICT specialised investment funds for Morocco
ICT focused funds targeting Morocco (2003-20013- Source ANIMA-MedFunds)
Fund manager
Investor
country
Investor
region
Name of the fund
Launch
date
Fund size (targeted)
MED host
country
Host region
Investment stage
Arbah Capital
Saudi Arabia
Gulf
Arbah Nanotechnology
Fund
2008
$100 to 500m
MENA
MENA
1. Early stage
New Enterprise
United Arab
Emirates
Gulf
Gulf Venture Capital
Fund I
2008
$100 to 500m
MENA
MENA
1. Early stage
twofour54
Abu Dhabi
UAE
AppsArabia Fund
2011
Unknown
MENA
MENA
1. Early stage
Iris Capital
Dubai
UAE
STC Ventures
2011
$50 to 100m
MENA
MENA
1. Early stage
Wamda
Lebanon
Mashreq
Wamda Capital Fund
2011
$20 to 50m
MENA
MENA
1. Early stage
212 venture Capital
Turkey
Turkey
2011
$20 to 50m
Turkey
Turkey
1. Early stage
Y+ Ventures
United Arab
Emirates
Gulf
212 venture Capital
Fund
Y+ Ventures Fund
2012
Unknown
MENA
MENA
1. Early stage
EBRD
UK
Europe
EBRD Venture Capital
2012
$100 to 500m
MENA
MENA
3. Development
MENA Venture
Investment
Jordan
Mashreq
MENA Venture
Investment
2012
Less than $20m
MENA
MENA
1. Early stage
Middle East Broadcasting
Dubai
Gulf
MBC Ventures
2013
Unknown
MENA
MENA
1. Early stage
Sinbad Ventures
Jordan
Mashreq
Sinbad Ventures Fund
2013
Less than $20m
MENA
MENA
1. Early stage
Kuwait
Gulf
Start-up Factory seed
Fund
2013
Less than $20m
Tunisia
Maghreb
1. Early stage
Egypt
Mashreq
EMEA Technology
Investment Fund
n.a.
$20 to 50m
MENA & Other
emerging countries
MENA & Other
emerging
countries
2. Second stage
KIPCO / United Gulf
Financial Services North
Africa Holding Company
EFG Hermes / EMEA
technology investments
© EuroMed@Change 2013
11
Key contacts
Government & Governmental organisation
Ministry of Industry, Trade and
Telecommunication
Ministry is in charge of ICT strategy and its implementation in Morocco
http://www.mcinet.gov.ma/
CIGOV Centre interministeriel eGovernement
eGovernment inter-ministerial committee
http://www.egov.ma/Gouvernance
/Pages/CIGOV.aspx
Gov.ma
Main eGovernment portal
http://www.egov.ma/
ARNT – Agence de Regulation Nationale des
Télécommunications
National regulators of telecommunications
http://www.anrt.ma/
OMTIC – Observatoire Marocain des
Technologies de l’Information et de
Communication
Moroccan observatory of ICT. Follows and provide statistics on deployment, access, use of ICT
technologies as well as eGovernment and digitial literacy
http://www.omtic.gov.ma/
AMDI – Agence Marocaine de
Développement et d’Investissement
National agency for development and investment. Responsible for the Invest in Morocco
initiative.
http://www.invest.gov.ma/
RMIE – Réseau Maroc Incubation et
Essaimage
National network of incubatos and spin-offs
http://www.rmie.ma/
ANPME – Agence National des Petites et
Moyennes Entreprises
National Small and Medium Enterprise promotion agency.
http://www.anpme.ma/
FNEM – Fédération Nationale du eCommerce
National federation of eCommerce operators and editors.
http://fnem.org/
APEBI – Fédération Marocaine des TIC et de
l’Off-shoring
Association of Moroccan companies on ICT and off-shoring gathers more than 180 companies
of the sector.
http://www.apebi.org.ma/
Casablanca Technopark
Ready to use offices and facilities, Access to financing, Business support: marketing assistance,
communication and Events/networking
http://www.technopark.ma/
Rabat Technopolis
Facilities / administrative assistance (Office of Vocational Training and Work Promotion OFPPT) / Assistance for human resources (National Agency for Promotion of Employment and
Skills ANAPEC) / business creation and support of projects (Regional Investment Centre)
http://www.technopolis.ma/
Maroc Microelectronics Cluster
Promotion, marketing, Networking, identification of collaborative projects
http://www.microelectronics.ma/
CE3M – Cluster Electronique Mécatronique et
Mécanique du Maroc
Networking / Development assistance / Innovation Intelligence and Protection / Identification
and development of Collaborative projects
http://ce3m.com/
Maroc Numeric Cluster
Networking, Development assistance, Innovation Intelligence, Collaborative projects
http://marocnumericcluster.org/
Clusters and technological parks
Incubators
Al Akhawayn Incubator
University of al akhawayn incubator specialised in ICT
http:// www.aui.ma/
Incubateur du Groupe ISIAM d’Agadir
Incubators of the ISIAM business school open to ICT and other domains. Located in Agadir.
http://www.isiam.ma/
DYNAMIQU'EST, l'incubateur d'entreprises de
l'université Oujda
Multi-domain incubator of the university of Oujda.
http://webserver1.ump.ma/
Centre Universitaire Doukkala Incubation (CUDI)
- Université el Jadida-
University incubator centre in El Jadida open to ICT and other innovative companies
http://www.ucd.ac.ma/
Incubator of the ENSIAS ICT university
Incubator of the AFEM : Association of Women in Business in Morocco. Support multi-domain
(including ICT) company creation by women.
http://www.ensias.ma/
Technical centre of technological innovation of the Mohammadia engineering school in Rabat.
http://www.emi.ac.ma/
Incubateur RESIN
Casa Pionières (Incubateur de l'AFEM)
Centre d’Innovation Technologique (CIT) -Ecole
Mohammadia d’Ingénieurs-
© EuroMed@Change 2013
http://afem.ma/
13
ICT
ICT
Major Events
MED-IT
IMWI Days
Sector: ICT
Sector: IT
Number of editions: 5 (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012)
Number of editions: 1 (2012)
Organiser: XCOM MAROC
Organiser: Inwi
Focus: international tradeshow dedicated to ICT The Event has an
international appeal with 49% of the company originating in the broader
Mediterranean region.
Focus: The IMWI days are an initiative supported by the third Moroccan
network operator. Conferences and roundtable take place over two days and
the event also include a development contest (hackathon)
Expected Participation: more than 4000 visitors and 180 exhibitors
including most of the major Moroccan actors of the ICT domain
2012 participation (organisers data):
competitors
Next event : 19 - 23 November 2013, Casablanca (Office des Changes)
Next event : n.a
Information : http://www.med-it.com/
Information : http://www.inwidays.ma/
Casablanca Start Up weekend
Maroc Web Awards
Sector: ICT
Sector: Web initiatives
Number of editions: over 400 past events in 100 countries around the
world
Number of editions: 5
Organiser: Kouffman foundation
Focus: Start-Up weekend are organized in Casablanca to bring together
innovators and mentors to work on start-up ideas. The event concludes with
a contest to distinguish the best start-up. The event is supported by major
ICT industrials (Google, Microsoft, Amazon).
Focus: Maroc
web initiative
concerns both
business: best
application...
2011 participation (organisers data): n.a
2013 participation: 57 500 participations
Next event: 28 June 2013, Casablanca (Technopark)
Next event : n.a
Information : http://casablanca.startupweekend.org/
Information : http://www.marocwebawards.com/
300 participants and 100
Organiser: Synergie Media
Web Awards event distinguishes the most successful Moroccan
of the year. The competition has different categories and
personal activities (best blog, twitter, facebook page ...) and
start-up, web-agency, ecommerce site, mobile application, web
Recent national policies
Global ICT vision and policy
The IT sector is now one of the priority sectors of the
Moroccan economy, given the contribution it is having
on human and economic development. The “Digital
Morocco” plan has been designed to ensure the
insertion of Morocco, through its companies and
universities, in the international economy of
knowledge.
Digital Morocco 2013 is part of the National Strategy
for Information Society and Digital Economy, which
aims to develop an efficient use of IT in all areas of
economic and social life in Morocco, to ensure
sustainable national growth and competitiveness. The
main objectives are:




To make high-speed internet available to
citizens
E-government program for the administration
to respond to the user’s needs
To encourage the digitalization of SMEs
To develop local IT, favouring the emergence
of centres of excellence with high export
potential.
Others initiatives have been introduced, especially in
the ICT training sector. The Genie initiative’s main
objective is the generalisation of ICT in all public
schools with the aim of improving the quality of
teaching.
The Marwan project, launched in 2002 had the
objective to ensure low-cost access to the Internet for
Moroccan universities, to establish a network hosted
in universities and administrated by dedicated staff,
and to provide a scalable architecture and large
bandwidth.
Organisation of ICT policies
The actual policy implementation and regulation
responsibility is transferred to different Ministries and
governmental bodies depending on the topics
involved.
The
Ministry
of
Industries,
Trade,
and
Telecommunication is in charge of the conception and
implementation of the ICT policies and strategies.
Several other governmental offices are also concerned
by ICT policies such as the e-Government Interministerial committee known as CIGOV. It is chaired
by the Minister in charge of Industry, Trade and New
Technologies. This committee is responsible for setting
the e-government objectives and assessing their
achievements.
The ARNT is the public organisation in charge of the
regulation and the organisation of the ICT sector. It
aims to create a favourable market for the ICT
development in Morocco and to ensure this country is
a main actor in this field.
The AMDI (Moroccan Investment Development
Agency) is responsible for promoting Morocco as a key
© EuroMed@Change 2013
CASA TECHNOPARK
Casablanca Technopark is an information
technology Business cluster complex located in
Casablanca, Morocco and inaugurated in
October 2001 as a Public Private Partnership.
It covers 30000 m² and hosts more than 170
companies mostly specialised in the ICT sector:
software editors, web agencies, e-commerce,
ICT consulting firms, and distributors.
The cumulated turnover of the technopark
companies exceeds 700 million DHS and about
20 new companies are created in the
technopark each year. The companies of the
technopark represent about 10% of all ICT
companies in Morocco.
The services provided include hosting (with
specific prices for SMEs and Start-ups) as well
as
communities’
services,
networking
opportunities
and
access
to
financing
opportunities.
15
investment destination, and attracting, facilitating
and retaining investment in the country. The AMDI
has recognised the importance of Information
Technology and Telecommunication sectors have
been identified as key sectors for investment
opportunities in Morocco.
The OMTIC (Morocco Observatory for Information
and Communication technology) is the organisation
that provides data and statistics for the development
and understanding of the Morocco ICT sector.
Telecom infrastructure policy
The Moroccan Government in 2010 identified general
guidelines
for
the
development
of
the
telecommunications infrastructure in Morocco in
order to generalize access to all parts of the country
without exception, to reduce the digital divide and
encourage broadband development.
e-Governement
The e-government program is defined as a strategic
priority of the 2013 Maroc Numeric Plan. This plan,
with a budget of more than 5 billions Dhs aims to
transform Morocco into an information society. This
transformation is undertaken in alignment with the
expectations of the citizens and the businesses. This
policy includes:



16
Investment
support
in
the
telecommunications sector
Deployment of appropriate infrastructure to
meet changing of uses
Expanding access to telecommunications
services (voice and Internet)

Activation of regulatory levers capable of
developing competition between the various
stakeholders.
The number of online transactional or integrated
services rose from 7 in 2008 to 18 in 2010. 7 Before
2008 it was less than 1%.
Policy toward Business and SME
The e-government program is also helping SMEs.
Indeed the lack of awareness on IT benefits and
resistance to change have been identified as the
main obstacles to the computerisation of SMEs. To
overcome these obstacles, IT training programs will
be proposed, mainly as a free national initiation
programme, for SME managers to switch to IT.
The Moroccan government is helping SMEs through
the ANPME: national agency for promotion of small
and medium enterprises. Three main programmes
support
the
SMEs
development:
IMTIAZ,
MOUSSANADA and MOUKAWALTI. The first two
programmes
are
open
to
non
Moroccan
entrepreneurs. The Imtiaz Program aims to support
the growth of the most promising SMEs, subsidizing
up to 20% of their investment to encourage growth
in this sector. The Moussanada Program aims at
improving the productivity of SMEs through functional
programmes by providing expertise and information
systems.
7
Egov
© EuroMed@Change 2013
E-GOVERNMENT MATURITY
This international benchmarking made by the
United Nations illustrates the position of
Morocco in terms of e-government maturity.
This ranking explains why e-government is
now a priority of the Moroccan government
and the new digital plan.
Major opportunities and international programmes
Main Investment Opportunities
The ICT sector is one of the priorities of the Moroccan
government and to this end many national plans (such
as Digital Maroc 2013) support the development of
this sector by facilitating investment opportunities in
many ICT fields.
The off shoring sector is one of the most promising
sectors in the Moroccan ICT field and represents 0.7
billion Euros of turnover, more than 46 000 jobs and
about 300 call centres.
Started in 2008 the e-commerce sector in Morocco has
truly expanded during the last two years. According to
the FNEM (the National Federation of E -commerce in
Morocco), the total amount of transactions carried out
online “e-commerce and distance selling,”-including
payment by credit card-reached a turnover of over
45.5 million euros in 2011. This shows a remarkable
growth of 72% in comparison with 2010.The FNEM
cited over 670 active e-commerce websites in Morocco
which have completed a total of over 1.29 million
online transactions in 2011. This reveals a 230%
increase from 2010 and an average online transaction
of 750 MAD ( 67€).
Opportunities also exist in the electronics field, which
represents more than 9200 jobs and 0.98 billion Euros
of exports. This number actually multiplied fivefold
between 2004 and 2011, showing the tremendous
potential of growth of this sector. An additional
8
AMDI
turnover of 475 millions Euros is also expected over
the next 8 years. Furthermore the strategic plan also
foresees the creation of a industrial cluster called
“Electronic City” and located in Mohamadia.
Access to regional markets
Only 14km south of Europe, Morocco is a competitive
platform for export. The average wage is 244 Euros
per month, so almost ten times lower than in Spain. It
can count on an educated, multilingual work force:
Over 20 million French speakers and 5 million Spanish
speakers, there is also a large population of English
among young people and management staff. Morocco
can also count on a wide Diaspora network (especially
in France and Spain) which provides investment and
business linkages opportunities.
As founding member of the WTO, Morocco
strengthened its regional integration in 1996 by
signing an association agreement with the European
Union, and therefore benefited from an advanced
status. Additionally, Morocco has signed various freetrade agreements with its main trading partners, such
as the Greater Arab Free Trade Area (1998), Tunisia,
Jordan, and Egypt (Agadir Agreement, 2004), the
United States (2005), Turkey (2005), and EFTA
countries (1997).
So thanks to diverse free-trade agreements, Morocco
offers investor free duty access to a market of 55
countries representing more than 1 billion consumers
and 60% of world GDP.
© EuroMed@Change 2013
INITIATIVES FOR ENTREPRENEURS
In order to develop the innovative action and
R&D in Morocco, the Ministry of Industry,
Trade and New Technologies launched a
strategy
called
“Initiative
Maroc
Innovation”.
This plan is divided into 4 sections:




Improved
governance
and
policy
framework
Development of specific infrastructures
Funding and support
Mobilization of talent
The purpose of this initiative is to give further
encouragement to the Moroccan innovation,
and to allow the emergence of truly innovative
companies. The mains objectives are:
producing 1000 Moroccan patents a year and
creating 100 innovative start- ups a year
starting in 2014.
17
0
Business environment
The RMIE (Morocco Incubation and spin-off network)
was established in 2002 by the government and
others socio-economic actor encourages innovation
and the creation of innovative companies. One of its
main missions is to train, assist and advise incubators
and projects holders to create innovative companies.
With more than 13 members all over the country, the
RMIE aims to enhance the entrepreneurial spirit in
Morocco by allowing companies to benefit from a
better business environment and a network of
experts, partners and investors.
It takes 12 days to start a business in Morocco, and it
is listed as the fifth country on the ease of doing
business in the Mediterranean region.
R&D Programmes
Morocco has made significant progress in promoting
R&D in recent years.
The number of partnerships with foreign universities
and research centres has increased highlighting the
credibility enjoyed by Moroccan academics and
researchers. Moroccan researchers are leading R&D
teams in innovative areas, such as microelectronics,
biotechnology and nanotechnology. A support fund
for technology innovation has been set up with
“initiative Maroc Innovation”.
18
MAROC NUMERIC
MEOLINK
FUND
INVEST
IN
>
Created as part of the Maroc Numeric 2013 plan,
Maroc Numeric Fund has a capacity of
investment of 100 million Dirhams and targets
ICT projects with investment between 1 and 8
million Dirhams.
In 2012 it invested 3.5 million Dirhams in Meolink
a start -up located in Casablanca and offering
M2M software solution (in a “software as a
service” model).
The
company
specialises
in
energetic
performance and intelligent building and offers
solutions for Smart Energy (optimizing energy
consumption), Smart Buildings (automation) and
Smart Telecom (remote operation and wireless
networks).
The technology is based on sensor network /
M2M technologies and the main market targeted
includes industry, construction, retail and
tourism.
The company can count on
partnerships with Orange, Cisco, and IBM.
MAROC WEB AWARDS
Organised for the 5th consecutive year the
Maroc Web Awards event distinguishes the
most successful Moroccan web initiative of
the year.
The competition is has different categories
and concerns both personal activities (best
blog, twitter, facebook page ...) and business:
best start-up, web-agency, ecommerce site,
mobile application, web application...
Last year the Maroc Web had more than
57000 participations with over a thousand
proposals. The event is undertaken in
partnership with Maroc Telecom, Nokia, and
Medi 1 TV.
The prizes are distributed at an official event
in Casablanca.
© EuroMed@Change 2013
This guide is a Doing business toolkit dedicated to clusters, SMEs, or entrepreneurs
interested in developing business partnerships in the ICT sector in Morocco. It provides an
overview of the main opportunities available for the private sector, as well as concrete and
useful data for those interested parties who require more detailed information.
It has been prepared by INNO AG under the EuroMed@Change Project, a Preparatory
Action initiated by the European Parliament and implemented by the European Commission
(DG Enterprise and Industry).
EuroMed@Change proposes new dynamics for SME and cluster internationalisation
between Europe and 4 targeted partner countries: Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt and Lebanon. It
is managed by four organisations from across Europe (ANIMA Investment network as
Project leader, the European Business Innovation Centre Network, INNO AG and the
Fondation Sophia Antipolis as partners) and it coordinates with more than 45 associated
regional business, finance and innovation networks.
20
© EuroMed@Change 2013