Morocco third ranking African country in scientific research
Morocco, Science, 10/10/2002

Morocco is the third African country in terms of scientific research after South Africa and Egypt, Moroccan state secretary of scientific research, Omar Fassi, said.

Some 14,000 Moroccans work in all branches of scientific research, the official said at the opening Tuesday of a meeting under the theme "innovation, an engine of competitiveness of SMEs-SMIs," part of the "innovation week" to wind up October 12.

Omar Fassi cited Morocco's thousand scientific research works, comparing them to the 400 of several years ago. Authorities should encourage Small and Medium Enterprises and Industries SMEs and SMIs to keep abreast with technologic evolution in order to boost their competitiveness, Fassi said.

The financial resources earmarked for research currently stands at 0.7% of Morocco's GDP, in comparison with 0.3% in 1997.

The meeting discussed the actions of the department of trade and industry, and will feature expos?s on the Spanish, French, Tunisian and Moroccan experiences in innovation and SMEs-SMIs development.

The meeting is part of the partnership binding Morocco's office of industrial development (ODI), Tunisia's Agency for industry promotion (API), the French agency of research valorization (ANVAR) and Spain's center for technologic and industrial development (CDTI).

The meeting offers participants an opportunity to probe means to give a new impetus to Euro-Mediterranean regional partnership to meet the needs of the countries of the southern shore of the Mediterranean in terms of technologies transfer and research funding.

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