Aeronautical and automotive records | L’Economiste
“Aeronautics is a source of pride for the national industry. Most aircraft components are manufactured in Morocco by local talented people”, the former Minister of Trade and Industry, Moulay Hafid Elalamy, used to say. His successor Ryad Mezzour repeated the same reply in front of the MPs members of the House of Representatives Productive Sectors Committee, on Friday, March 3rd, 2023. In any case, this sector has achieved a turnover that exceeds 21 billion Dirhams (US $ 2.1 billion) in 2022.
This is a record figure compared to pre-Covid achievements. Anyway, in his presentation, the Minister recalled that in less than 20 years, Morocco has been able to build an aeronautical industry of superior, diversified and competitive quality. This long-term work has made it possible to achieve significant growth and dynamics, since Morocco has seen the emergence of new professions with high added value. These trades cover a diversified range of specialties from different sectors, such as cabling and component assembly. To face global challenges, particularly the scarcity of imported raw materials that the international market is experiencing, several measures have been put in place. One measure involves support for pioneering professions belonging to the industrial ecosystems of the aeronautics sector, particularly projects related to composite products. Another measure concerns the work to be carried out to attract manufacturers and distributors of raw materials in order to complete the supply chain and consolidate the competitiveness of the aeronautical industrial base in Morocco. The goal is also to increase industrial sovereignty and alleviate the impacts of exogenous crises. Another measure is necessary because the aeronautical industry is required to rely increasingly on clean renewable energies. The automotive industry has not been left out. Indeed, exports in 2022 exceeded 120 billion Dirhams (US$ 12 billion), a record figure compared to previous years, despite the crisis and the rise in raw materials prices in the sector. For the month of January alone, the sector achieved more than 10 billion Dirhams (US$ 1 billion) in turnover. To cope with this increase, the line ministry is working to define a list of these raw materials and to seek to implement them in Morocco in order to gain independence and competitiveness. Similarly, the project aiming at decarbonizing the Moroccan industry will contribute to significantly reducing the energy bill of companies, which is considered an important factor in the overall cost of production. The goal is to connect car and spare parts manufacturers to clean, wind and solar energy at a competitive cost, which will allow products to be exported to the European Union without barriers.
Mohamed CHAOUI
