Technopark planned for Rabat

[mounir412 101]

Technopark planned for Rabat

2012-01-18

A new tech hub in the heart of Morocco's capital could create hundreds of new jobs.

By Rachid Jankari for Magharebia in Casablanca – 18/01/12

[

Building on the success of the Casablanca Technopark, Moroccan authorities plan to open a tech park in Rabat this April with space for as many as 40 businesses.

The former National Agency for the Promotion of Small and Medium Enterprises (ANPME) head offices, covering an area of 2,000 square metres, will be refitted to accommodate up to 40 technology companies. Located right in the centre of Rabat, the new zone will be dedicated to hosting companies working in the field of information technology, including green ICT.

"Our ambition is to make the Rabat Technopark a success by capitalising on our experiences in Casablanca. Currently, we have more than 170 companies based in that zone, employing 1500 people, with a consolidated turnover of 700 million dirhams," explained Omar Balafrej, director general of the Moroccan Information Technopark Company (MITC).

MITC is a private management structure including representatives from the Moroccan government and private and public banking. Their ten-year-old Casablanca tech park covers nearly 30,000 square metres of office space and includes an incubator for innovative projects.

In physical terms, the Rabat Technopark has offices that are ready for use, each with a surface area of 15 to 50 square metres, with priority given to young entrepreneurs and SMEs.

Alongside the accommodation offer, the Rabat Technopark will provide access to common services: site security, reception service, a centralised building control system, and cleaning and maintenance services. Future tenants of the park will automatically have access to a panoply of value-added services which have been developed for the benefit of the companies at the Casablanca Technopark, including a purchasing pool for employees and companies, communications and professional networking.

As for pricing, the MITC has promised it will apply its existing tariff to the Rabat zone, with price differentiation according to the size of the company, priced per square metre and ranging from 50 dirhams for start-ups to 90 dirhams for SMEs and 120 dirhams for the bigger names. Companies who are interested should expect to be asked to submit their applications in early February.

The Technopark's expansion plans do not stop at Rabat.

"Our long-term objective is to duplicate the project, depending on the support received from our various partners, across the Kingdom's main cities: Tangier, Oujda, Marrakech, Agadir and Fes," Balafrej said.

This content was commissioned for Magharebia.com.

[ScramJet 35]

Who cares?

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Who cares?

The OP?