Casablanca: Logistics Hub and Nearshoring
4 March 2006
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Casablanca: Destined to Develop the Tertiary Sector
Automobile/Aeronautics: The New Niches
75% of ICT jobs are in the metropolis
A 180° turn: This is the new trajectory of the city's economic activity. With a new dynamic in services, Casablanca is refocusing on high-value-added niches.
Alongside a cutting-edge industry in sectors such as automobile, electronics and aeronautics, and traditional sectors (agro-industry and textile), the city is focusing on new tertiary sector industries.
The basis for this reorientation is a number of assets: proximity and air connectivity, telecom infrastructures meeting European standards (fiber optics), development of online services, technologically advanced banks with 30% of the banking network. According to Mouaâd Jamaï, governor in charge of the general secretariat of the wilaya, "Casablanca is among the top five in offshoring in the French-speaking world". Another important asset is a large pool of engineers and retrainable human resources. "75% of ICT jobs are located in the Greater Casablanca region", estimates Hamid Belafdil, director of the CRI. This allows the metropolis to claim the status of the leading site exclusively dedicated to French-speaking offshoring (BPO activities). Main targeted activities: data processing, customer relationship management, IT park management, call centers and dematerialization of banking and insurance services.
The director of the CRI prefers the term "Nearshoring", as offshoring is a concept more related to the oil industry, he specifies.
The Casa Shore project is in line with this reorientation. The Emergence plan forecasts 300,000 square meters of office space dedicated to services and 30,000 jobs. A training center for offshoring professions is also under construction. We are already talking about at least 5 billion DH more in GDP. And that's not all, the metropolis has other aspirations in terms of logistics. Driven by industrial firms, relocation and the rise of modern distribution, logistics is set for strong growth. Casablanca will thus be able to play a key role in container storage. In fact, the city aims to become a logistics hub for manufactured products.
The new vision is for Casablanca to occupy a central place on the Jorf Lasfar-Rabat axis. An essential platform that will position the city as a crossroads for exchanges and storage. The port of Casablanca, second in the Maghreb, alone accounts for 70% of exchanges. The gradual opening of borders, FTAs and the massive influx of investors are making logistics a performance lever in its own right. Some companies have understood this, particularly in the automotive sector. Many distributors already outsource this activity on the Casa-Mohammedia axis. This is also the case for structured groups that have had a dedicated department for this activity for about ten years.
Faced with this growing demand, the supply of logistics services is slowly but surely developing. Alongside the major players (Exel, Maersk Logistics and Geodis...) already established, other structures focused on transport are trying to gain a foothold. The trend is confirmed since, as in other parts of the world, more and more companies are focusing on their core business.
Of course, the main reason for companies to outsource remains the desire to reduce costs.
Alongside this, specialized training in logistics is emerging in Casablanca. This includes the new master's degree in purchasing and logistics at Iscae and the DESS in management, logistics and transport offered by Hassan II University.
L’Economiste. February 15, 2006 edition.
www.leconomiste.com Dossier section
Automobile/Aeronautics: The New Niches
75% of ICT jobs are in the metropolis
A 180° turn: This is the new trajectory of the city's economic activity. With a new dynamic in services, Casablanca is refocusing on high-value-added niches.
Alongside a cutting-edge industry in sectors such as automobile, electronics and aeronautics, and traditional sectors (agro-industry and textile), the city is focusing on new tertiary sector industries.
The basis for this reorientation is a number of assets: proximity and air connectivity, telecom infrastructures meeting European standards (fiber optics), development of online services, technologically advanced banks with 30% of the banking network. According to Mouaâd Jamaï, governor in charge of the general secretariat of the wilaya, "Casablanca is among the top five in offshoring in the French-speaking world". Another important asset is a large pool of engineers and retrainable human resources. "75% of ICT jobs are located in the Greater Casablanca region", estimates Hamid Belafdil, director of the CRI. This allows the metropolis to claim the status of the leading site exclusively dedicated to French-speaking offshoring (BPO activities). Main targeted activities: data processing, customer relationship management, IT park management, call centers and dematerialization of banking and insurance services.
The director of the CRI prefers the term "Nearshoring", as offshoring is a concept more related to the oil industry, he specifies.
The Casa Shore project is in line with this reorientation. The Emergence plan forecasts 300,000 square meters of office space dedicated to services and 30,000 jobs. A training center for offshoring professions is also under construction. We are already talking about at least 5 billion DH more in GDP. And that's not all, the metropolis has other aspirations in terms of logistics. Driven by industrial firms, relocation and the rise of modern distribution, logistics is set for strong growth. Casablanca will thus be able to play a key role in container storage. In fact, the city aims to become a logistics hub for manufactured products.
The new vision is for Casablanca to occupy a central place on the Jorf Lasfar-Rabat axis. An essential platform that will position the city as a crossroads for exchanges and storage. The port of Casablanca, second in the Maghreb, alone accounts for 70% of exchanges. The gradual opening of borders, FTAs and the massive influx of investors are making logistics a performance lever in its own right. Some companies have understood this, particularly in the automotive sector. Many distributors already outsource this activity on the Casa-Mohammedia axis. This is also the case for structured groups that have had a dedicated department for this activity for about ten years.
Faced with this growing demand, the supply of logistics services is slowly but surely developing. Alongside the major players (Exel, Maersk Logistics and Geodis...) already established, other structures focused on transport are trying to gain a foothold. The trend is confirmed since, as in other parts of the world, more and more companies are focusing on their core business.
Of course, the main reason for companies to outsource remains the desire to reduce costs.
Alongside this, specialized training in logistics is emerging in Casablanca. This includes the new master's degree in purchasing and logistics at Iscae and the DESS in management, logistics and transport offered by Hassan II University.
L’Economiste. February 15, 2006 edition.
www.leconomiste.com Dossier section
