On the first day of the Marrakech Air Show, the Minister of Industry and Commerce, Mr. Ryad Mezzour, the Minister Delegate to the Head of Government in charge of National Defense Administration, Mr. Abdellatif Loudiyi, and the President of Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, Mr. Hicham El Habti, signed a partnership agreement for the creation of an advanced manufacturing research center in partnership with Boeing, entitled “African Center for Manufacturing Excellence (ACME)”.

Alongside these agreements, NTS Technics, a fully Moroccan company, was chosen as Boeing's engineering partner. Boeing will support NTS Technics to achieve level 3 design certification and become an approved engineering supplier. The company was selected through a joint process involving the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the National Defense Administration, and Boeing.

These two areas of collaboration with Moroccan industry are part of the industrial offset agreement signed on February 8, 2023 between the Boeing Company, the National Defense Administration and the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, aimed at extending the partnership between Morocco and Boeing to support the Moroccan aeronautics ecosystem in its upmarket focus on innovation and excellence, as well as reinforcing Moroccan engineering excellence.

They strengthen engineering and advanced manufacturing capabilities in the region, and consolidate the partnership between the two parties.

In addition, Boeing has committed to becoming a founding member of the African Center for Manufacturing Excellence (ACME), which will be part of the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University and will be located in Morocco (Nouaceur).

“Investing in Morocco's future and establishing a solid aerospace footprint for future generations is at the heart of this alliance,” said Mr. Ryad Mezzour, Minister of Industry and Commerce of the Kingdom of Morocco. “We are delighted to extend our partnership with Boeing to make Moroccan industry a globally recognized leader at the forefront of innovation and excellence in aeronautics.”

ACME is the first R&D center in Africa with the “Boeing label” internationally oriented, based on a consortium model that relies on the collaboration of companies from different sectors to develop R&D proposing innovative solutions and creating added value for its members. In this respect, ACME will bring together academia and industrial partners to collaborate on innovative technological solutions for its customers and industrial partners. The center will strengthen the Kingdom's influence in R&D, positioning itself in key technologies including advanced manufacturing, industry 4.0, automation and new materials.