Kingdom
Scientific Research And Innovation: The EESC Proposes 6 Levers To Turn The Tide
Beyond the assessment of several constraints, the constitutional entity proposes, as part of a National Research and Innovation Strategy, several recommendations that can be grouped into six key areas.
The Economic, Social, and Environmental Council (CESE) recently published its opinion, developed following a referral from the House of Councillors, entitled “Contribution of Scientific Research to Innovation, Development, and Strengthening the Competitiveness of the National Economy: The Urgency of a Coordinated and Integrated National Strategy.”
The entity notes that Morocco has made significant progress in structuring its national research and innovation system, with an increasingly diverse network of public and private actors, a growing number of researchers and doctoral students, and an increase in indexed scientific production—though it still remains well below international standards.
A set of proposals
Beyond the assessment of several constraints, the constitutional entity proposes, as part of a national research and innovation strategy, several recommendations, notably six key areas. First, the CESE recommends accelerating the ongoing overhaul of Law No. 01.00 on the reorganization of higher education and adopting its implementing texts, in order to strengthen the autonomy of universities in administrative, financial, pedagogical, and scientific matters.
Second, experts suggest ensuring sustainable and increased funding for research, with a proposed target of 3% of GDP by 2030, while urging the private sector to increase its investments in this area.
Third, it is noted that there is a need to establish a specific framework for full-time researchers, including doctoral and postdoctoral students. This framework should complement the existing status of teacher-researchers by defining incentives for full-time research and remuneration mechanisms for the most productive researchers.
Another key area: strengthening the institutional and operational capacities of the National Council for Scientific Research so that it can effectively fulfill its role of monitoring the national research and innovation strategy and coordinating between the various interested public and private stakeholders.
The fifth lever relates to promoting research and entrepreneurial innovation, by consolidating the missions assigned to universities in entrepreneurship, subsidiary creation, and partnerships with companies, and by simultaneously promoting the development of autonomous public-private consortium structures, such as MAScIR, capable of transforming research results into marketable innovative solutions.
Finally, the Council recommends strengthening the involvement of regions in the development of applied scientific research, beyond merely providing infrastructure, by supporting the creation of regional technology transfer structures responsible for valorizing research results, assisting with intellectual property protection, supporting the incubation of research-based startups, and facilitating, in collaboration with the private sector, the maturation of innovative projects.
