Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) has formalized a consortium agreement for the Africa Center of Manufacturing Excellence (ACME) on October 7, at the Marrakech Airshow. The agreement brings together nine institutional and corporate parties, including Morocco's Ministry of Industry and Trade, the National Defense Administration, and OCP Group, alongside Boeing, Airbus, Lockheed Martin, and Safran Nacelles. UM6P serves as the academic host and research partner. The consortium aims to consolidate advanced manufacturing capabilities in Morocco and develop them across Africa.
The ACME center is designed as a shared research, testing, and industrial development platform, allowing members to cooperate through common equipment and coordinated programs. UM6P describes it as a shared hub where members can develop, test, and support the industrialization of manufacturing technologies toward industrial application. The center will operate through a project-based approach, conducting research collectively or in response to specific industrial requirements.
The establishment of ACME was first announced in October 2024 at the Marrakech Airshow, where a partnership was signed between the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the National Defense Administration, and UM6P. The groundwork for the center was laid in February 2023, with an industrial offset agreement between the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the National Defense Administration, and Boeing. This agreement aimed to strengthen Morocco's aerospace ecosystem and engineering capabilities.
Othmane Smires, General Manager of ACME, described the center as "a unique R&D center in Africa" with an ambition to go beyond research output. The platform aims to bring together tomorrow's technology to improve efficiency and strengthen Moroccan sovereignty. Smires framed ACME as "a tool serving Moroccan industry" meant to move the country up the value chain and develop local talent.
The consortium agreement was signed by executives from the involved parties, including UM6P's President Hicham El Habti and Abdelhadi Sohib, Vice-Chancellor of UM6P. Industrial partners were represented by Fahad Al Mheiri from Boeing, Joseph Rank from Lockheed Martin, and Vincent Caro from Safran Nacelles, among others. The ceremony took place in the presence of Abdellatif Loudiyi, Minister Delegate in charge of the National Defense Administration.
The research fields at ACME will span advanced materials, additive manufacturing, precision machining, composite processing, robotics, industrial automation, artificial intelligence, metrology, and non-destructive testing. A training arm, ACME Academy, is planned to connect research to real industrial requirements, though its curriculum, intake, and start date remain unspecified. The center aims to translate research into industrial applications, strengthen supply chains, and invest in Moroccan talent.
The agreement sets out structural terms for cooperation, including consortium governance, financing arrangements, intellectual property generated through research, and a tiered membership model. The arrangements aim to support cooperation between institutions with different mandates while preserving a shared direction for ACME's research and industrial activities. The projects may generate new knowledge and intellectual property, creating value for members and strengthening the wider industrial and technological ecosystem.
Key points
- The Africa Center of Manufacturing Excellence (ACME) is a shared research, testing, and industrial development platform.
- The consortium brings together nine institutional and corporate parties, including Moroccan institutions and international players like Boeing, Airbus, and Lockheed Martin.
- ACME aims to consolidate advanced manufacturing capabilities in Morocco and develop them across Africa.
