In partnership with the WestMED initiative, the Association of Regions of Morocco held a conference in Rabat dedicated to the role of regions in the development of coastal maritime clusters. This meeting brought together members of the government, presidents of regional councils, representatives of public institutions, economic and territorial actors, as well as international partners and experts in the maritime sector.
Bringing together more than 150 institutional leaders, regional representatives, experts and international partners, this meeting is part of the national dynamic aimed at structuring and deploying a blue economy that is both competitive and sustainable. This is based on the enhancement of the Kingdom’s maritime potential and the involvement of coastal territories.
With more than 3,500 kilometers of coastline and an exclusive economic zone estimated at nearly 1.2 million km?, Morocco has major strategic assets to develop maritime value chains that create growth and jobs, says a statement.
On the program of this meeting, the participants exchanged about the role of the territories in the structuring of the blue economy, as well as the prospects for the development of regional maritime clusters in Morocco.
These exchanges focused on the conditions necessary for the emergence of regional maritime clusters, designed as territorial ecosystems bringing together companies, public institutions, research centers and financing actors. These cooperation platforms aim to promote innovation, strengthen skills related to the professions of the blue economy and support the implementation of structuring projects within coastal regions.
Participants also examined several international experiences on maritime clusters, particularly in the Mediterranean and European area, while putting into perspective the opportunities offered by the National Blue Economy Strategy (SNEB) to support the progressive structuring of these ecosystems at the territorial level.
The work of the conference was structured around three thematic sessions devoted respectively to the role of maritime clusters in the development of the blue economy on an international scale, operational approaches to the development of regional clusters aligned with Moroccan territorial potential, as well as the issues related to access to blue funding and capacity building for the assembly of integrated projects. The conference closed with the reading of the Rabat Appeal, reaffirming the importance of consolidating the role of the regions in structuring the blue economy, developing regional maritime clusters adapted to territorial specificities, strengthening international cooperation and pursuing a concerted diagnosis of the territories to implement integrated projects and mobilize blue finance on an international scale.
The Association of Regions of Morocco aims through this conference to encourage a territorial approach to the development of the blue economy, based on cooperation between public actors, the private sector, research institutions and international partners, with the aim of supporting the emergence of structuring and sustainable projects in the coastal regions of the Kingdom.
source : SNRT News
