The Fez Smart Factory Competitions, launched as part of the FSF Ecosystem led by EuroMed University of Fes (UEMF), Morocco, is a competition for companies to become part of an all-in-one support zone for innovative activities, aimed at developing a competitive industry by improving its productivity or developing new factories for innovative products. By implementing the principles and methods of industry 4.0, the competition aims to create a unique and integrated industrial ecosystem to:

• Set up a core of smart factories by supporting project leaders and startups benefiting from FSF’s engineering and R&D services, as well as a pilot model factory, to develop their 4.0 factories at the demonstration scale.
• Take advantage of the FSF ecosystem to support existing industrial units in the Fez-Meknes Region and Morocco to optimize their industrial, environmental, and social performance by taking advantage of Industry 4.0 concepts.

The final deadline to submit the application form and all the administrative and technical documents to Fez Smart Factory is 6th of May 2023.

Explore All Components of the Fez Smart Factory Ecosystem

The Fez Smart Factory Competitions seeks applications from innovative companies to join one of the following four components of the FSF Ecosystem:

• The Fez Smart Factory Accelerator (for startups): A reception area for startups with development projects for intelligent industrial units for high value-added and competitive products.
• R&D services for Industry 4.0 (for R&D entities): The Fez Smart Factory Competitions aims to select five R&D entities, to be domiciled in the spaces dedicated to R&D services of the FSF ecosystem. A single entity will be selected per industrial sector among those covered by the FSF Ecosystem. (find the list of focus areas below)
• Engineering services for Industry 4.0 (for engineering companies): The Fez Smart Factory Competitions aims to select ten engineering companies, to be domiciled in the spaces dedicated to the engineering services of the FSF ecosystem. They will be selected on the basis of technology and use cases, ranging from predictive maintenance to optimal energy management and cloud solutions, among others. (find the list of focus areas below)
• Business Center 4.0 (for SME & Large industrial companies): This component of the FSF Ecosystem offers domiciliation spaces for SME & large companies and industrial units wishing to invest in Morocco in the field of industry 4.0.

In addition, the FSF Ecosystem comprises the following components, which successful applicants will gain access to or interact with during a later stage:

• The 4.0 Incubator is responsible for carrying out missions related to incubating development projects for intelligent industrial units for high value-added and competitive products.
• Spaces dedicated to setting up innovative industrial 4.0 units on a demonstration scale developed by startups.
• The Rapid Prototyping Center (Additive Manufacturing Lab):
  • Access to additive manufacturing machines in metallic, plastic, ceramic, and concrete materials.
  • This center, owned by the UEMF, will provide prototyping services to the project leaders of the 4.0 Incubator, startups of the Accelerator 4.0, engineering companies, and R&D entities.
• Pilot Model Factory 4.0: This factory school, run by the Digital Development Agency in partnership with the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the UEMF, and the FSF Consortium, has as its main mission training in the technologies and concepts of industry 4.0. and contributing to supporting FSF beneficiaries in the choice and implementation of technologies for smart factories.

Discover All the Benefits for Companies Selected Into the FSF Ecosystem

Companies selected for the next stage within the FSF Ecosystem will sign a domiciliation contract with “FSF INDUSTRY” defining the commitments of each party, which can be found in the relevant terms and conditions document (check the website). In addition, successful applicants receive the following benefits:

Benefits for Startups

• Access to a 20 m2 office equipped with office furniture, a 20m2 workshop, a conference auditorium, and an exhibition hall hosting up to 300 people
• A workshop space of 20m2
• One-stop-shop services
• Social services: catering and cafeteria; medical, health and safety services, and crèche services
• Support services for industrial property, business plans, and industrial development
• Gain access to experts, donors, investors, manufacturers, etc. based in Morocco
• Services of the rapid prototyping center shared with the UEMF
• Services of the Pilot Model Factory 4.0
• Facilitation of access to other technological or other services which can be provided by the various components of the UEMF

Benefits for R&D Entities

• Access to a 20 m2 office equipped with office furniture, meeting rooms, a conference auditorium, and an exhibition hall hosting each up to 300 people
• A workstation in an open office space
• A laboratory space of 20m2
• One-stop-shop services
• Social services: catering and cafeteria; medical, health and safety services, and crèche services
• Support services for industrial property, business plans, and industrial development
• Gain access to experts, donors, investors, manufacturers, etc. based in Morocco
• Services of the rapid prototyping center shared with the UEMF
• Services of the Pilot Model Factory 4.0
• Facilitation of access to other technological or other services which can be provided by the various components of the UEMF
• Support services for the management of services provided as part of the transformation of existing industrial units, or for the benefit of Business Center companies, startups, and project leaders domiciled at FSF
• Help identify the transformation needs of existing industries with support from the CGEM (General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises)

Benefits for Engineering Companies

• Access to a 20 m2 office equipped with office furniture, meeting rooms, a conference auditorium, and an exhibition hall hosting each up to 300 people
• Five workstations in an open office space
• One-stop-shop services
• Social services: catering and cafeteria; medical, health and safety services, and crèche services
• Support services for industrial property, business plans, and industrial development
• Gain access to experts, donors, investors, manufacturers, etc. based in Morocco
• Services of the rapid prototyping center shared with the UEMF
• Services of the Pilot Model Factory 4.0
• Facilitation of access to other technological or other services which can be provided by the various components of the UEMF
• Support services for the management of services provided as part of the transformation of existing industrial units, or for the benefit of Business Center companies, startups, and project leaders domiciled at FSF
• Help identify the transformation needs of existing industries with support from the CGEM (General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises)

Benefits for Industrial Companies (Large & SMEs)

• Access to a 20 m2 office equipped with office furniture, meeting rooms, a conference auditorium, and an exhibition hall hosting each up to 300 people
• One-stop-shop services
• Social services: catering and cafeteria; medical, health and safety services, and crèche services
• Support services for industrial property, business plans, and industrial development
• Gain access to experts, donors, investors, manufacturers, etc. based in Morocco
• Services of the rapid prototyping center shared with the UEMF
• Services of the Pilot Model Factory 4.0
• Facilitation of access to other technological or other services which can be provided by the various components of the UEMF

Key Focus Areas of the Fez Smart Factory Competitions

This competition is open to any innovative company or startup, Moroccan or foreign, with an eligible project aimed at developing a new innovative industrial unit for high value-added and competitive product(s). The competitions seek concepts and technologies using industry 4.0 in the following sectors and technologies:

Industrial sectors of interest for the Fez Smart Factory Competitions

• Food
• Chemical and Para-Chemical
• Biomedical and Pharmaceutical
• Metal, Metallurgical, and Electromechanical
• Renewable Energy
• Textile and Leather
• Digital Tech

Technological areas of interest for Engineering Companies in the Fez Smart Factory Competitions

• Predictive Maintenance
• Optimal Energy Management
• Industrial Supply Chain Management
• IoT and Sensors
• Connectivity and Cloud
• Virtual and Augmented Reality
• Industrial Automation (Robotics & Cobotics)
• Mechanical Manufacturing Processes
• Chemical and/or Biological Transformation Processes
• Data Analytics and AI

Each Engineering company specializing in one industry 4.0 technology will use it to develop use cases for industrial sectors covered by the Fez Smart Factory Ecosystem.

Check the Fez Smart Factory Competitions website to get all the details, including the timeline and evaluation criteria, and make sure to apply by 6th May 2023.

Apply now for the Fez Smart Factory Competitions to build or scale your business in Morocco!

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