11/25/2015 MoroccosfledglingaeronauticssectorspreadsitswingsFT.

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Moroccosfledglingaeronauticssectorspreadsits
wings
HebaSaleh

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StaffatMatisAerospaceprepareaircraftcomponents

AbdelghaniErrahmani,presidentofMatisAerospace,stridesdownthecentralaisleofthevast
factoryfloorandpointstothelongrowsofbenchesonhisleftandrightwheresome900workers
assemblecomplicatedwirebundlesfortheaircraftindustry.

See,ononesideyouhaveBoeingandontheotherAirbus,hesaysjokingly.Thebiggest
competitorsintheworldofaeroplanemanufactureareonly2maparthere.

MatisisajointventurebetweenBoeingandSafranofFranceto
producewirebundlesandharnessesforthebiggestnamesinaircraftmanufacture,including

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Boeing,Airbus,DassaultandSnecma.Establishedin2001,Matisexported70mofproductslast
year.Itiscurrentlyinthelastphaseofaplantoincreasecapacitybyadding300moreworkers
andexpandingthefactoryby50percent,saysMrErrahmani.Thereismoreturnoverandmore
activities,soourpartnerswanttoinvestmore.

MatisispartofagrowingaeronauticssectorinMoroccothattakesadvantageofitslowlabourcosts
andproximitytoEuropetosupplycomponentstomanufacturersthereandtheUS.

Theindustry,whichemploys11,500peopleandlastyearachievedexportsworth$1bn,hasbeen
growingat15percentayear,accordingtoindustryofficials.Theaimistoreach23,000jobsby
2020,increaseexportsto$1.6bnperyearandincreaseto35percenttheproportionoflocally
producedcomponents,inwhataremostlyproductsassembledfromimportedparts.

HamidBenbrahimElAndaloussi,presidentofGimas,agroupingofMoroccanprivatesector
companiesworkinginaeronautics,saysMoroccosfutureintheindustryispromising.

Thereare35,000aircrafttobebuiltgloballyoverthenext20years.TodayMoroccoistheplaceto
beifyouwanttopenetrateEuropeatthebestcost.TenyearsagocompanieswereineasternEurope
andIreland,butsincethesecountriesjoinedtheEU,theyhavebecomelessandlesscompetitive.

Thereare100internationalcompaniesinMorocco,includingBombardier,AlcoaandStelia,a
subsidiaryofAirbus,withinvestmentscollectivelyworthupto$800mhesays.Twothirdsofthese
areaddingcapacityforexpansion.

Anaeronauticsinstitute,theInstitutdesMtiersdeLAronautique,setupjointlybytheprivate
sector,withFrancewhichgavealongtermloan,andtheMoroccangovernmentwhichprovidedthe
building,istrainingworkersfortheindustry.

Nowafterfouryearsofoperationsweareintheprocessofdoublingcapacityfromthecurrent600
trainees,saysMrBenbrahim.

Allhaveajobwhentheygettheircertificateafterfourtoeightmonthsoftraining.Itisstrategicfor
Moroccotoaddcapacityandeducationtoallowustoaddmorevalue.

Wearenowattractingsisterindustrieslikesecurity,defence,compositematerialsandresearchand
technology.ThesearetheindustriesofglobalisationthatwillallowyoungMoroccanstohave
anotherwayofdevelopmentandbuildingtheirfuture.

AlmosthalfthespaceofthefirstphaseoftheAerospaceIndustrialPark,apublicprivate
partnershipinauguratedinSeptember2013,hasalreadybeentakenup,saysArefHassani,
managingdirectorofMidparc,thecompanythatdevelopedthepark.

Aeronauticshasbeendrivingthis,followedbyelectronics,saysMrHassani.Outofthefivelarge
scaleinvestmentswehavesofar,fourarefromNorthAmericaandonefromFrance,hesays.

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Withinvestmentsworth100msofar,hesays:Weareatthebeginningbutweexpecttostart
expansionoftheparkbecausethereisrealdemand.

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