General context: At the “Rail Industry Summit” held in Casablanca on December 10 and 11, 2024, Morocco reaffirmed its ambitions for the development of its rail industry. Aware that any transformation begins by strengthening skills, the Kingdom is placing training at the heart of its strategy to build a high-performance, sustainable industrial ecosystem.
Under the patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, the 3rd Rail Industry Summit was co-organized by the MTI cluster and AMDIE, in partnership with ABE and with the support of ONCF. Over 250 companies attended, including 130 exhibitors from 15 countries. This major event highlighted the Kingdom’s plans to modernize its transport infrastructure and build a robust rail ecosystem.
A strategic partnership for training and innovation.
One of the highlights of the summit was the signing of a partnership agreement between Morocco TraIndustry (MTI) and Ferrocampus.
Ferrocampus is a French center of excellence dedicated to innovation and training in the railway sector, and is currently building the first Campus dedicated to the railway sector in France.
This partnership, supported by a 1.3 million euro grant from the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and the Direction Générale du Trésor, aims to establish an operational vocational training offer by 2026.
This partnership has three major objectives:
- To carry out a feasibility study for the creation of a rail training center in Morocco.
- Develop a vocational training offer that will be operational by 2026.
- Strengthen the Moroccan rail industry ecosystem by supporting the MTI cluster and its players.
This collaboration is inspired by Morocco’s successes in the automotive and aeronautics sectors, where robust ecosystems have been created thanks to a particularly agile and adapted training system based on an innovative public-private partnership, the delegated management institute (IGD).
AFD, Morocco’s long-standing partner in the vocational training sector, is fully committed to this new dynamic, having already supported the Kingdom in the development of the delegated management institute (IGD) model, which has proved its efficiency with record rates of professional integration.
A lever for Morocco’s international ambitions
Morocco plans to capitalize on its assets to become a reference pole in Africa, by stimulating trade and reducing territorial disparities through modern economic corridors.
During the summit, the Minister of Transport and Logistics, Abdessamad Kayouh, presented the outline of the Rail 2040 Plan, an ambitious roadmap for transforming the Moroccan rail network.
The Minister also recalled the success of the Al Boraq high-speed train, underlining the commitments made during President Macron’s state visit regarding France’s support for Morocco’s ambitions, and in particular for the construction and equipping of the high-speed line extension to Marrakech.
The French President’s commitments obviously included the vital issue of vocational training and skills, aimed at supporting Morocco’s ambition to become an African leader in the rail industry.
Promising prospects for 2030
The agreement signed between MTI and Ferrocampus represents a significant step forward in the structuring of a Moroccan railway ecosystem. Investment in the training of qualified human resources is strategic and will be an essential lever for attracting domestic and foreign investment, developing a rail industry that not only meets local needs, but is also poised to develop for export, and thus bolster Morocco’s economic competitiveness.
For the Minister, “…the rail sector has established itself as an essential lever in the transformation of infrastructures […] In addition, the Strategic Public-Private Partnership, with the MTI cluster, is helping to strengthen the rail ecosystem, […] particularly in view of the 2030 milestones.” These deadlines call for an efficient and sustainable transport infrastructure to meet growing mobility needs.
By integrating innovation, sustainability and international expertise, Morocco is positioning itself as a model for other emerging nations, where rail transport will become a driver of economic development and international influence.
