A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed by the International University of Rabat (UIR) and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) to develop a center of excellence for innovation in aviation and artificial intelligence.
Through innovation, co-development, applied research, and incubation, the agreement seeks to deepen partnership and cooperation. It comes after the partnership contract was signed a few months ago by Mr. Noureddine Mouaddib, President of UIR, and Mr. Eytan Eshel, CTO of IAI, in the presence of Mr. Amir Peretz, who was formerly Israel’s Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense, and Minister of Economy and Industry and is now Chairman of the Board of Directors of IAI, and Mr. Boaz Levy, President and CEO of the business.
The signing ceremony took place on Monday, May 22 on the UIR campus to establish the Center of Excellence in Aeronautics and Artificial Intelligence. The strategic cooperation between UIR and IAI that was established last November is strengthened and reinforced by this initiative.
Mr. Amir Peretz, Chairman of the Board of Directors of IAI, presided over the signing of this agreement in the presence of H.E. Ryad Mezzour, Minister of Industry and Trade, H.E. Abdellatif Miraoui, Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation, members of the university board of directors, and scientific teams with expertise in cutting-edge aeronautical research.
IAI’s Chairman of the Board, Amir Peretz, said: “We are fortunate to be hosted here thanks to the generous leadership of Professor Nurradin Mouaddib, the President of the University of Rabat. This innovative institution is a sign of a new future being forged in Morocco for both the present and future generations. The most vital mission is now to transform a dream into reality by establishing a program that will combine high-quality education across various fields, with a special emphasis on science and technology. By establishing the necessary industrial infrastructure, it will be possible to recruit new graduate students. Looking into the students’ eyes, I can see their strong determination to succeed in this new center, bringing forth ideas which hopefully will serve not only Morocco and Israel, but also the entire world.”
President of the International University of Rabat, Mr. Noureddine Mouaddib, said: “This center of excellence is the result of our collaborative efforts and joint commitment to promoting research, innovation, and entrepreneurship in the fields of aeronautics and AI. This initiative is totally in line with the strategy and vision chosen by our ministries and leadership. The UIR-IAI Aeronautics and AI Center of Excellence will certainly benefit from the ‘Rabat Salé Kénitra University Cluster,’ a vibrant research and technology hub, which hosts all kinds of talents, labs, institutes, facilities and experts committed to harnessing the collective intelligence and collaboration on emerging technologies and challenges.”
The Center will act as a meeting point and forum for Moroccan and Israeli businesses as well as research institutions working together to produce cutting-edge products or creative approaches for the aerospace sector. It will boost the strategic cooperation between Morocco and Israel as well as Morocco’s status as a desirable competence hub.
Along with the signing, UIR and IAI held two days of collaborative workshops to discuss areas of collaboration and topics related to the Center of Excellence’s goal. The evolution of their research, development, and innovation efforts as well as their experiences with new and old technologies were presented by researchers, engineers, and specialists from both businesses. The outcomes of the seminars will help to improve the future Center of Excellence’s road map.
Israel Aerospace Industries is a leader in the aerospace industry and offers cutting-edge equipment to its clients for use in air, ground, sea, space, and cyberspace applications. IAI works with its surrounding ecosystem, which includes research institutions, universities, and startup businesses, to advance its technical leadership through hybrid open-innovation and applied research in cutting-edge core technologies. IAI underlines its dedication to scientific research and innovation while promoting technological knowledge by collaborating with the International University of Rabat to establish the Center of Excellence in Aeronautics and Artificial Intelligence.