Essaouira at the time of the 2nd “Digitech Ecosystem Summit” forum

The city of Essaouira hosted, on Saturday, the second edition of the “Digitech Ecosystem Summit” forum, an event which reflects Huawei Morocco’s resolute commitment to digital transformation.

Placed under the aegis of the Ministry of Economic Inclusion, Small Business, Employment and Skills, the Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation and the Ministry of Digital Transition and Administration Reform, this meeting took place in the presence of the Advisor to His Majesty the King and founding president of the Essaouira-Mogador Association, André Azoulay, and the Minister Delegate in charge of the Transition. Digital and Administrative Reform, Ghita Mezzour, the president of the municipal council of Essaouira, Tarik Ottmani and the general director of Huawei Morocco, David Li, as well as other personalities.

Bringing together institutional actors, representatives of the public and private sectors as well as experts in information and communication technologies, this meeting aims to highlight the pioneering role played by Huawei which goes well beyond its strategic position of a leading equipment manufacturer in Morocco, but also stands out for its strong orientations for a robust and inclusive digital economy.

This 2nd edition was the occasion for the signing of two conventions which reinforce the commitment of this world leader in the field in the digital development of Morocco and consolidate its collaboration with government and local entities.

The first tripartite agreement between the delegated ministry responsible for relations with parliament, the Ministry of Digital Transition and Administrative Reform and Huawei, marks a significant turning point in the framework of the Digitech Talent Huawei program.

Designed to meet the strategic needs of Morocco’s administrative reform and territorial digital transition, this agreement focuses on strengthening ICT skills for the benefit of selected stakeholders, in accordance with the NASSIJE strategy.

The second, signed between Huawei and the Essaouira-Mogador Association, demonstrates more than ever Huawei’s commitment to local development. Its aim is to strengthen the events scene in Essaouira by providing dynamic support for the cultural events hosted by the Cité des Alizés.

Speaking on this occasion, Mr. Azoulay underlined the High Concern and Kindness with which His Majesty King Mohammed VI continues to surround young people, particularly in the era of this unprecedented digital revolution that the world is experiencing, highlighting highlight the exceptional talent and undeniable abilities available to young Moroccans and Souiris in particular.

HM the King’s Advisor was also delighted to see Essaouira contributing to this awareness of the importance of this digital revolution, noting, in this sense, that this weekend will be a milestone in the annals of the City of the Trade Winds, with the inauguration of the Essaouira Technopark, the holding of the Young Mediterranean Leaders Forum and the 2nd edition of the Digitec Ecosystem Summit.

For her part, Ms. Mezzour was pleased to see the digital dynamic reaching different regions of the Kingdom, stressing that Morocco is fully committed to a digital transition.

The minister also welcomed the commitment of the various stakeholders to make digital a real engine for wealth and job creation, in accordance with the enlightened Royal Vision.

Noting that Morocco has undeniable assets to become a reference digital hub in the region, she expressed the Kingdom’s ambition to strengthen its positioning on a regional, even global, scale, thanks to its major asset which is her youth.

For his part, the CEO of Huawei Morocco explained that the launch of this 2nd edition of the forum, born from the convergence of visions of all partners, emphasizes the importance of strengthening digital skills and consolidation, ultimately, of the public-private partnership, considered a real lever for boosting the national digital economy.

“By joining forces with our key partners, we are strengthening our commitment to promoting a resilient digital ecosystem,” he stressed, noting that Huawei will continue to invest in talent and innovation and to support Morocco’s aspirations for a sustainable and prosperous digital transformation.

As for the president of the Essaouira Municipal Council, Tarik Ottmani, he was delighted to see the Cité des Alizés host this second edition, expressing the city’s willingness to participate in the training program of the global technology giant.

Mr. Ottmani, also president of the executive committee of the Essaouira-Mogador Association, highlighted the importance of the agreement signed, on this occasion, between the association and Huawei for the support of three flagship events, namely: the Musical Spring of the Alizés, the Festival of Andalusias Atlantiques and Jazz under the argan tree.

For their part, the various speakers highlighted the assets available to the Kingdom to succeed in the digital transition, emphasizing that digitalization constitutes an essential vector of economic development, hence the need to take advantage of the opportunities that present themselves.

The highlight of this edition remains the honorary prize ceremony, organized for the team of students called “Coding Heroes” and made up of children aged 10 to 12, who proudly represented the Moroccan school and the Kingdom of Morocco at the Arab robotics competition in Qatar “First LEGO League”.

Note that the six students from the Bouayach school sector in Midelt had brilliantly succeeded in winning third place and were honored with the Best Design Prize, thus demonstrating their exceptional determination.

A second honorary awards ceremony was dedicated to the best teachers and ambassadors of the Digitech Talent program. Huawei Maroc, a program which encourages the development of ICT by supporting teacher-researchers to open classes tackling new technologies such as AI or BIG DATA.

Thus, seven professors were honored, representing respectively Hassan II University, Hassan I University of Settat, Cadi Ayyad University, Abdelmalek Essaadi University, Youcode Youssoufia and Ibn Zohr University.

The winners and deserving talents of the “ICT Competition 2022-2023” competition were also rewarded during this event with the presentation of prizes to the three best teams in Morocco.