CREATION OF THE CITY OF INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER (CITT)

As part of its structuring projects, Hassan II University of Casablanca (UH2C) is establishing its CITT to create a scientific and technical environment conducive to high-quality research dedicated to promoting innovation. This project reflects the university's commitment to strengthen ties between academic research, the economic fabric, and society. The CITT is more than just a research center: it is a dynamic ecosystem where researchers, students, businesses, and institutions collaborate to tackle today's challenges and prepare tomorrow's solutions. With this initiative, Hassan II University of Casablanca positions itself as a national and regional leader in innovation and applied research.

Missions of the CITT:

The CITT is structured around several key objectives:

A crossroads of innovation: To develop and support innovative ideas conducive to scientific and socio-economic development.
A lever for the regional economy: To serve as a bridge between university research and the local economic fabric, offering solutions tailored to business challenges.
Structuring innovation: To implement comprehensive mechanisms to cover the entire innovation chain, from idea to final product.
Personalized support: To offer accompanying resources, including training, awareness initiatives for social entrepreneurship, and support for formalizing ideas.
Support for researchers and students: To encourage small, high-value ideas, notably through project-based pedagogy, to stimulate the creation of businesses or the development of existing enterprises.
Prototype realization: To support the design of prototypes to direct projects towards an incubation phase or a strategic partnership with businesses or laboratories.
Project incubation: To promote the emergence and development of innovative projects, ready to be marketed or integrated into the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

A Project in Service of Innovation:

With the creation of the CITT, UH2C aims to play a driving role in innovation and technology transfer in Morocco. This center emphasizes a forward-looking vision:

Valorizing the results of scientific research.
Promoting entrepreneurship and the creation of start-ups.
Integrating new technologies to meet industrial needs.
Establishing fruitful collaborations with the public and private sectors.

Actions Taken:

Governance: Adoption by the CU of an internal regulation for the CITT defining management bodies and operational modalities.
Technical Platforms: 5 technical platforms have been established:
1. Material Analysis and Characterization Platform.
2. Elementary and Molecular Chemistry Platform.
3. Biotechnology and Functional Genomics Platform.
4. High-Performance Computing, AI, and Cybersecurity Platform.
5. Prototyping and Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Platform.
Pooling and Federation of Resources: Acquisition of high-tech heavy equipment to meet researchers needs. This equipment is made available to researchers.