of Fes Smart Factory CompetitionLaunched as part of the FSF ecosystem and led by EuroMed Fez University in Morocco (UEMF), the competition is a competition for companies to become part of an all-in-one support zone for innovative activities and improve It aims to develop a competitive industry by developing new factories for its productivity and other KPIs or innovative products through the implementation of Industry 4.0 principles and methods.
The Fez Smart Factory Competition is open to four categories of companies using or developing innovative Industry 4.0 solutions and technologies:
- startup
- engineering company
- R&D institute
- Industrial Units or Enterprises (SMEs and Large Enterprises)
A personal invitation from Tijani Bounahmidi, Coordinator of the Fes Smart Factory Ecosystem
Can you give us the broader background for starting the Fez Smart Factory competition?
The Fez Smart Factory Competition is part of the Fez Smart Factory activity. Fez Smart Factory was selected to benefit from the support of the Fund for Sustainable Industrial Zones (FONZID) following a competitive call for projects jointly launched by the Millennium Challenge Account – Morocco Authority. (MCA-Morocco) and Moroccan Ministry of Industry and Trade (MIC).
FONZID is part of the ‘Industrial Land’ activity under the ‘Compact II’ cooperation programme, funded by the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) and whose implementation has been entrusted to the MCA-Morocco Agency.
Co-founded with MIC and awarded a $30 million envelope, FONZID aims to strengthen the model of sustainable industrial zones and contribute to the productivity and environmental and social performance of enterprises in industrial zones. purpose.
FONZID expands its supply of industrial land to meet investors’ needs in terms of location, quality of infrastructure, supporting services and competitive pricing. Therefore, it will contribute to increasing private investment and creating jobs.
The Fez Smart Factory project is supported by the EuroMed University of Fez as a leader, the Fez-Meknes Regional Council, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Fes-Meknes Branch of the Moroccan Enterprise Confederation (CGEM), the companies Alten Delivery Center-Morocco, and ADD (Digital Development Agency ).
For interested applicants, please tell us more about the evaluation and selection process.
There are a limited number of locations for each of the four categories of beneficiaries: Startups, Engineering Firms, R&D Entities, and Businessmen. These locations will be assigned to the best candidates in this competition who are working on developing new smart factories (startups and industrialists) or supporting this development (engineering companies and R&D entities). To do this, the selection committee relies on each category of candidates, administrative and technical files, the contents of which are described in the terms and conditions of each category.
Candidates are evaluated in two stages: preliminary selection and selection. Pre-selection is based on conditions related to the satisfaction of legal conditions and the nature of the proposed activity, with selection made on the basis of a scoring grid of quality of technical files. Candidates who score 70 or above out of 100 will be ranked according to their score and will be granted settlement in her FSF ecosystem according to the number of places available. A waiting list is created instead of a withdrawal.
What can companies expect after choosing to join the FSF ecosystem?
Selected companies agree to the corresponding Terms of Service (Check the FAQ section for T&C documentation).
Overall, start-ups will be supported to develop and implement smart factories at demonstration scale. Business center businessmen can launch investment projects to build smart factories in Morocco. Engineering firms and R&D institutions will benefit from proximity to potential customers looking for innovative smart solutions.
All companies benefit from a working environment that provides innovation management and industrial development services, quality workspace and diverse social services.
Could you please give a message to all the companies that are considering applying?
The Fez Smart Factory Ecosystem is designed to meet sustainable development goals by implementing Industry 4.0 technologies for innovative companies aspiring to make a significant impact on the economy, society and the environment. An ideal innovation ecosystem.
We encourage companies to apply to this international competition that will help create a global pool of innovations to achieve the common goal of sustainable development for humanity and the planet.
WHY ENTER THE FEZ SMART FACTORY COMPETITION
Morocco is fast becoming a top hub for Industry 4.0 companies and solutions. Business-oriented policies, a dynamic and competitive business environment, and a strong interest in sustainability have established the region as a unique and integrated ecosystem for large-scale industrial innovation. A successful application has the following benefits:
Benefits for all companies and startups
- Access to a 20m2 office with office furniture, meeting rooms and an exhibition hall for up to 300 people
- One-stop shop service
- Social services: catering and cafeterias.Medical, health and safety services, daycare services
- Support services for industrial property rights, business planning and industrial development
- Access Morocco-based professionals, donors, investors, manufacturers and more
- Rapid Prototyping Center services shared with UEMF
Special benefits for R&D institutes, engineering and industrial companies
- Services of Pilot Model Factory 4.0
- Facilitating access to other technical or other services provided by various components of UEMF
Additional Benefits for R&D Institutions
- Management of services provided as part of the transformation of existing industrial units or support services for the benefit of business center companies, start-ups and project leaders residing in the FSF
- Backed by CGEM (General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises) to help identify transformational needs in existing industries
UEMF’s rapid prototyping platform
UEMF’s Smart Manufacturing Platform
UEMF Digital & AI Platform
UEMF’s biotechnology platform
Is your company eligible to apply?
Candidate application eligibility will be evaluated by the Evaluation Committee based on: These must be met at the same time.
- For start-ups: The industry sector covered by the project must be one of the covered sectors of the FSF ecosystem. Project activities performed during the Acceleration phase must be at Technology Readiness Level (TRL)-3 or higher.
- For R&D Entities: The subject of R&D services in the submission must relate to one of the covered industry sectors of the FSF ecosystem.
- For Engineering Firms: The engineering services subject of the tender must be part of the engineering services subject to the FSF ecosystem. Engineering service activities should also cover Industry 4.0 use cases related to the industrial sectors covered by the FSF ecosystem.
- For industrial units or companies (SMEs and large companies): Industrial company projects must be related to one of the covered industry sectors of the FSF ecosystem.
Check the website to find information about the industry sectors and technologies covered, as well as the relevant conditional documents.
Ready to take the first step? Apply here for the Fez Smart Factory Competition! We will close the application on April 16, 2023, so please hurry.
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