Morocco’s Caisse de Dépôt et de Gestion (CDG) and the International University of Rabat (UIR) have signed five agreements to set up a national research and innovation hub. The aim is to fund research teams and labs while helping new tech startups get off the ground.
The partnership starts with a broad agreement that can grow over time. Four research chairs have already been launched. They focus on social protection, disaster risks, sustainable finance, and low-cost, inclusive innovation.
The social protection chair will be run by CDG’s savings and pensions branch. The disaster risk chair will be led by reinsurer Atlantic Re. The sustainable finance chair will focus on green growth. The fourth chair will work on developing affordable local technology.
CDG is a major shareholder in the International University of Rabat and says the partnership will support national development. Both sides say applied research is needed as Morocco and the rest of Africa go through economic change.
CDG was created in 1959 to manage long-term savings such as pension funds and national savings accounts. It invests this money in big infrastructure projects and key industries rather than acting like a normal bank. The new research chairs are meant to produce ideas and expertise in the areas where CDG invests.
UIR is a public-private university designed to bring Moroccan education closer to international standards. It focuses strongly on developing local technology so the country depends less on imports.
Each research chair targets a national priority. The social protection programme will help Morocco manage its expanding welfare system. The disaster risk chair will improve how the country predicts and prepares for natural disasters and climate threats after the 2023 Al Haouz earthquake. The sustainable finance chair will help develop financial tools that support renewable energy and green hydrogen projects. The frugal innovation chair will work on affordable technology suited to places with limited infrastructure.
The agreements also set clear rules about intellectual property. They define who owns patents and software so the university keeps academic independence while CDG can use the research in its work. The model is meant to guide future partnerships between public institutions and universities in Morocco.
