Morocco Strikes Strategic Partnership with Onepoint to Launch Notable Data and AI Center
The Moroccan government and French tech consulting firm Onepoint have announced the establishment of a new Center of Excellence in Data and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the Casablanca-Settat region. The partnership, formalized through a cooperation agreement signed on July 22, 2025, brings together key government ministries, the Moroccan Agency for Investment and Export Development (AMDIE), and Onepoint’s president David Layani [1][2][3].
The Center of Excellence will serve as a cutting-edge tech hub, accelerating Morocco’s digital transformation and reinforcing industrial competitiveness [1][2]. It is a key initiative under the national digital strategy "Digital Morocco 2030" and forms part of Morocco’s broader Maroc Digital 2030 strategy, which focuses on digital advancement, training, and sovereign technological development [1][3].
Onepoint has pledged to hire and train over 500 Moroccan engineers and professionals over four years, specializing in data science, AI, and middleware technologies [1][3]. This initiative supports Morocco’s ambition to build a highly skilled digital workforce, targeting the training of 45,000 tech professionals by 2030 and creating 500 new skilled jobs in AI and data by 2029 [3].
The center will help industrial small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Morocco to digitize operations and secure their systems, enhancing national digital sovereignty and innovation capacity [1][3]. This effort complements other major partnerships with technology firms such as Oracle, Nokia, Cisco, and Naver, signaling Morocco’s growing status as a regional digital and technological hub in Africa [3].
The Center of Excellence is intended to address the technological and economic challenges of the present time, aiming to become a reference pole for research and development [1][3]. It is designed to provide the Kingdom with strategic infrastructure in data and AI, contributing to strengthening Morocco’s national capabilities, stimulating innovation, and updating public facilities [1].
The signing ceremony took place on Tuesday, July 22, 2025, and was attended by several high-ranking officials, including Minister Amal Al-Falah Al-Sagroshny, Minister of Digital Transition and Administration Reform, Minister Riyadh Mazour, Minister of Industry and Trade, and Minister Karim Zidane, Minister Assigned for Investment, Prevention, and Public Policy Evaluation, among others [1].
The center will involve a wide network of public and private stakeholders and is expected to contribute substantially to modernizing public services, boosting industrial competitiveness, and promoting Morocco as a digital powerhouse in Africa [1][3]. By fostering an innovation ecosystem, the center is expected to facilitate the transformation of the industrial fabric towards more resilient, competitive, and sustainable models [1].
In summary, the Onepoint-led Center of Excellence in Casablanca represents a strategic investment in Morocco’s digital future, combining skills development, job creation, and technology-driven industrial transformation to support the country’s ambitious Digital Morocco 2030 vision [1][2][3]. The project underscores the government’s commitment to achieving digital sovereignty and highlighting governmental priorities centered on valuing human capital. The center is set to upgrade public services, strengthen Morocco's national capabilities, and stimulate innovation, making it a cornerstone in scaling Morocco's digital ecosystem.
- The Center of Excellence, led by Onepoint, will leverage cutting-edge technology and infrastructure to drive Morocco's digitization, enhancing its national digital capabilities and promoting artificial intelligence as part of the broader Maroc Digital 2030 strategy.
- With a focus on data-and-cloud-computing, the center will train over 500 Moroccan engineers and professionals in AI and middleware technologies, aiming to create a highly skilled digital workforce and stimulate innovation in the region.
