OCP Group’s manufacturing arm, through its ManufacturiX platform, hosted the first edition of OCP InnovateX Day on Tuesday, April 29, at the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) in Benguerir. The event brought together over 500 participants, including startups, industrial players, researchers, and students. These stakeholders explored tech-driven solutions for a more sustainable industrial future.
Organised in partnership with UM6P, InnovateX Day provided a collaborative space for showcasing and testing forward-looking technologies aimed at solving real-world operational challenges within OCP’s manufacturing processes. Selected from 2,500 applicants, more than 35 companies representing 25 countries—including several Moroccan innovators—presented their ideas, tools, and prototypes.
Bridging innovation with industrial needs
The event is part of OCP’s broader strategy to connect applied innovation with industrial requirements, positioning Morocco as a regional leader in sustainable industrial transformation. According to Abdenour Jbili, Director of ManufacturiX and CEO of OCP Maintenance Solutions, youth are at the heart of this effort.
“Young people, who currently master technology and information, are a source of inspiration and change for building the future,” Jbili said. “Project developers, inventors, and entrepreneurs are fundamental to supporting and contributing to industrial transformation.”
Jbili added that InnovateX Day provides visibility and offers a pathway to scale. “This event is of capital importance as it connects applied innovation to industrial needs,” he noted. “It offers innovators the opportunity to test their solutions at industrial scale to adapt and implement them in the field.”
Building a long-term ecosystem for industrial innovation
In a video message, Ahmed Mahrou, Managing Director of the Strategic Business Unit Manufacturing at OCP, emphasised that the initiative is designed to move beyond ideas toward real impact.
“Today, we are not just observing, but we are committing to responsible and sustainable innovation,” Mahrou said. “Over time, we hope to become a vibrant and dynamic meeting place where talent and technologies converge to create more sustainable and productive intelligence.”
Annual platform for collaboration and scale
The OCP Group plans to institutionalise InnovateX Day as an annual event, reinforcing its commitment to open innovation and ecosystem development. Through direct collaboration with startups, research centers, and academic institutions, the Group is looking to diversify its innovation sources, create stronger industry-academia linkages, and foster solutions tailored for industrial scale-up.
Panel discussions and exhibitions focused on emerging technologies in predictive maintenance, digital twins, and AI-powered systems, highlighting the group’s growing interest in integrating advanced technology into core operations.