Business
Lamiae Benmakhlouf: «Technopark establishes itself as a pillar of innovation in Morocco »
For more than two decades, this incubator of technology companies has evolved far beyond its initial role as a hosting space for start-ups. It is now a structured ecosystem conducive to innovation with five sites.
With its various programs and agile model, Technopark is a cornerstone in the start-up ecosystem. The digital start-ups located on its different sites benefit from a stimulating environment, conducive to exchange, learning, and the growth of their projects. Explanations.
Since its creation in 2001, how has Technopark evolved?
For more than two decades, Technopark has evolved well beyond its initial role as a hosting space for start-ups. It is now a structured ecosystem conducive to innovation and accessible to all technology project holders in Morocco. Established in five cities (Casablanca, Rabat, Tangier, Agadir, and Essaouira), it has become a key player in the development of digital start-ups. Thanks to an agile and evolving model, the incubation network has supported more than 3,000 innovative start-ups and created over 15,000 skilled jobs. Today, nearly 500 digital start-ups are supported across the network’s various sites.
What is the success rate of start-ups that have participated in your incubation and acceleration programs?
The effectiveness of the support programs, the strength of the ecosystem and network, as well as the stimulating environment enable start-ups to succeed in their entrepreneurial journey and ensure their growth with confidence. This achievement is explained by close support with significant facilitation of access to financing, markets, and skills. We have several success stories, start-ups that have established themselves in cutting-edge sectors such as fintech, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence, both nationally and internationally. The stimulating environment of Technopark, combined with close support and support mechanisms for start-ups, significantly contributes to their success. Indeed, the success rate of start-ups exceeds 85%, highlighting the quality of support and the impact of countless networking opportunities with ecosystem partners. This indicator is measured annually and has shown continuous improvement since 2017.
What is your strategy for the coming years?
As part of the new 2023-2027 strategic roadmap, we are strengthening our support offer with the launch of new specific programs covering all phases of start-up development, from incubation to acceleration. The «Boost Up Lab» program was designed to help project holders realize their MVP (Minimum Viable Product) and support them until the start-up creation phase. Mature young companies can join open innovation programs to co-develop new solutions and improve their access to contracts, such as the «DIGITAGRI» program, or export facilitation programs like «ETAP» (Export Technopark Acceleration Program) aimed at supporting their international go-to-market strategy. All these initiatives aim to provide more targeted support to entrepreneurs, notably through in-depth training, easier market access, and high-level mentoring. The goal is to continuously adapt support to the real needs of start-ups and market developments to guarantee their long-term success.
