“Morocco Now” Roadshow: Conference in Stuttgart to promote Morocco’s competitive strengths

Held under the theme “Morocco-Germany, a strategic alliance for industrial innovation”, the conference featured the participation of the Minister Delegate in charge of Investment, Convergence and the Evaluation of Public Policies, Karim Zidane, the Ambassador of Morocco to Germany, Zohour Alaoui, and a director at the Ministry of Economic Affairs of the State of Baden-Württemberg, Michael Kleiner.

Also taking part were the Director General of AMDIE, Ali Seddiki, the Director General of the CDG, Khalid Safir, as well as Morocco’s partner organizations, including the German Chamber of Commerce Abroad (AHK), the Federal Association of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (BVMW), and the Bosch Group.

Speaking on this occasion, the Moroccan Ambassador to Berlin highlighted in particular the richness and depth of the historic Moroccan-German relationship. She noted that although Morocco and Germany will celebrate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of their bilateral relations in 2026, ties between the two countries date back much further.

In this context, she recalled the settlement in Safi in 1506 of the first German families, the opening in 1872 by Germany’s first Chancellor Otto von Bismarck of a legation in Tangier and consulates in the Kingdom’s main ports, as well as the dispatch of a diplomatic representative and the signing in Fez in 1890 of the German-Moroccan commercial treaty.

Germany had already perceived the strategic importance of Tangier and viewed Morocco as a key market for its industry, the diplomat stressed, noting that “history reveals our shared interest in forging alliances”.

“History teaches us that Morocco has always been interested in industrial innovation,” she continued, citing as an example the acquisition in 1892 by Sultan Moulay Hassan I of the first Mercedes model exported outside Europe. This model is currently on display at the German brand’s museum in Stuttgart.

The ambassador also emphasized the momentum in relations between the two countries since the signing in 2022 of the joint declaration that sealed the Moroccan-German strategic partnership, a partnership that has been strengthened both politically and economically.

In this regard, Ms. Alaoui called on German and Moroccan economic actors to be even more ambitious in order to capitalize on the excellence of relations between the two countries and the convergence of their interests, which calls for an alliance between Morocco and Germany, particularly in the services and industrial innovation sectors.

For his part, Mr. Zidane stated that Morocco, under the enlightened leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, is asserting itself, thanks to its stability, structural reforms, competitiveness and unique geographical position, as a strategic partner for countries of the North, a bridge between continents, a catalyst for multilateral cooperation and an engaged actor in shared development.

The Kingdom is now a profoundly transformed, connected, ambitious and structured country, equipped with world-class infrastructure. It has become a competitive industrial platform integrated into global value chains, Mr. Zidane underlined, adding that “Germany occupies a special place in this dynamic”.

Morocco and Germany are two complementary countries, he said, recalling that Germany possesses strong technological capabilities, a significant engineering business fabric and globally recognized innovation capacity, while Morocco offers access to multiple foreign markets, a skilled and competitive workforce, abundant green energy, efficient industrial zones and a stable business environment.

“The history between our two countries is solid. The future can be even stronger,” he said, adding that Morocco offers companies, particularly SMEs and start-ups, as well as German regions, “a win-win partnership based on shared value creation, shared innovation and mutual respect”.

For his part, Mr. Kleiner praised Morocco’s development momentum, describing it as a country that “offers companies from the State of Baden-Württemberg an attractive environment for investment, trade and cooperation”.

He stressed that his region, one of the wealthiest and most industrialized in Germany, is highly interested in strong and diversified cooperation with Morocco in the energy sector, as well as in technology and innovation.

The Director General of AMDIE presented on this occasion Morocco’s competitive advantages in several strategic sectors such as automotive, aeronautics and tourism, noting that the Kingdom offers a world-class platform for sustainable investment and trade.

Among Morocco’s strengths, he cited a stable environment, modern infrastructure and ecosystems, access to a market of 2.5 billion consumers thanks to the multiple free trade agreements signed by the Kingdom, as well as a young and motivated human capital.

Mr. Seddiki, who also highlighted Morocco’s assets in the energy transition field, specified that German investments in the Kingdom increased by 50 percent between 2023 and 2024, placing Germany in second position in terms of foreign direct investment in Morocco, thus acting as a key partner of the Kingdom, particularly in the industrial and technological sectors.

For his part, Mr. Safir focused his remarks on the role of the CDG, particularly in the development of integrated industrial zones in Morocco, which currently number 16, hosting industries such as automotive and aeronautics and offering an appropriate framework for Moroccan and foreign investors.

Morocco is not merely seeking investors, but integrated and sustainable ecosystems, Mr. Safir stressed, adding that German excellence in engineering and European development banks will find in the CDG “a stable long-term partner, capable of unlocking high-impact industrial projects”.

Morocco and Germany are capable of jointly shaping next-generation industrial ecosystems based on sustainability, technology and shared prosperity, he noted.

The “Morocco Now” conference in Stuttgart was also marked by testimonials from Morocco’s German partners, AHK, BVMW and the Bosch Group, which emphasized the depth and dynamism of economic cooperation ties between Morocco and Germany.

Stuttgart was the final stop of the “Morocco Now” Roadshow, which previously visited Berlin and Munich, where the Moroccan delegation highlighted strategic sectors such as automotive, electric mobility, electronics and energy to German institutional and economic decision-makers. These sectors offer significant synergies between the two countries and strong potential for bilateral cooperation.

Editorial team/le7tv