UM6P, Mineral Industry Federation Team Up to Accelerate Mining Technology Transfer

Rabat - Through its Accelerated Mining Technology Transfer Platform for Africa (AMTTPA), the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) signed this week an innovative partnership agreement with Morocco’s Federation of Mineral Industry (FDIM) to accelerate transfer in the mining sector in Morocco and across the African continent.

The university said the agreement seeks to accelerate technology transfer in the mining sector for Morocco and Africa.

The agreement aims to develop exchanges of experiences between the university researchers and FDIM executives.

Both institutions seek to co-organize scientific and technical events related to the mining sector, UM6P added.

The UM6P’s AMTTPA seeks to develop the mining sector in the North African country as well as in Africa.

UM6P says it seeks to create a bridge between academic research and socio-economic ecosystem through technology transfer projected to take several phases.

The AMTTPA’s axis include technology transfer or projects with a maturity level , as well as the creation, development, and management of open innovation spaces, such as living labs dedicated to the mining sector.

The AMTTPA also seeks to boost and create mining startups. Morocco is known for its diversified geology rich in mineral assets.

The government considers the mining sector as a key pillar in Morocco’s economy.

According to the Mining Minister, the importance of the sector is “perceptible beyond the investments it attracts through its contribution to gross domestic product, its share in national exports, and its beneficial effects of regional development in terms of infrastructure development of all kinds.”

In 2013, the North African country introduced a strategy for the 2015-2025 period to boost the sector.

In a recent overview of Morocco’s mining sector, the Oxford Business Group said the country is looking to triple the industry’s revenue to reach €1.4 billion by 2025 through the strategy and generate 30,000 additional jobs.

The business group also emphasized that Morocco is home to a range of metals and minerals, though the sector has long been dominated by phosphates. Estimations show Morocco possesses 77% of the world’s total phosphate reserves.

Source: Morocco World News by Safaa Kasraoui