The Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) has launched the Smart Factory Academy, a permanent training and technology showcase center designed to help African industries transition toward Industry 4.0.
Unveiled during the NextGen Manufacturing Summit Africa at UM6P’s campus in Benguerir, the initiative represents a shift from one-off industry gatherings to a sustained, hands-on platform for advancing digital manufacturing across the continent.
From Summit to Sustained Action
The Smart Factory Academy emerged from UM6P’s TECHNIX division, which envisioned a permanent center to demonstrate how emerging technologies such as AI, IoT, predictive maintenance, and data analytics can transform industrial operations.
“The problem with events like these is that they’re one-shot — two or three days and it’s over,” said Mohamed Laklalech, Managing Director of TECHNIX, in an interview with Morocco World News. “We wanted something that would allow us to permanently train people and showcase technologies.”
The academy moves beyond traditional conferences, offering continuous learning opportunities, live demonstrations, and cross-industry collaboration.
A Living Laboratory for Industry 4.0
Unlike a typical training center, the Smart Factory Academy is designed as a living laboratory — an interactive space where companies can experience and experiment with the latest industrial technologies.
“The idea behind the Smart Factory is to permanently show what new technologies are about,” Laklalech said. “It goes beyond speaking and debating once a year.”
The academy is being developed in partnership with Deutsche Messe, the German organization behind major industrial events like Hannover Messe. A full-scale version of the Smart Factory Academy is set to open in Casablanca by 2026, featuring continuous technology updates and demonstration spaces.
Training for Real Industrial Needs
The academy’s programs are designed to meet operational and technical skill needs, rather than focusing solely on management-level training. Courses will target engineers, frontline workers, and technicians, ensuring that skills development aligns with real factory requirements.
“We design training programs adapted to real industrial needs — not just management, but operational levels too,” Laklalech explained.
The initiative will feature centers of excellence organized around key industrial themes, along with train-the-trainer models that allow companies to send representatives for intensive instruction, who then return to train their own staff.
Another innovative feature is the “learning expedition” concept — curated visits to advanced factories and industrial sites that allow professionals to exchange insights and see Industry 4.0 technologies in action.
A Pan-African Vision
Though headquartered in Casablanca, the Smart Factory Academy is conceived as a pan-African hub for industrial innovation. It will serve as a platform for companies across the continent to adopt new technologies, share expertise, and strengthen Africa’s role in global manufacturing.
“It’s for Morocco, but also for Africa beyond Morocco,” Laklalech said.
By combining permanent technology exhibitions, hands-on training, and collaborative learning, UM6P’s Smart Factory Academy aims to give African manufacturers the tools, expertise, and vision to lead in the Fourth Industrial Revolution — not merely adapt to it.
As Africa’s industrial base expands and its youthful workforce grows, initiatives like this could play a defining role in shaping the continent’s digital and industrial future.
