Morocco: A New Genera on Of Civil Servants Paving The Way For Industry 2.0

Over the last decade a new genera on of civil servants has been working to improve the attractiveness of Morocco’s industrial sector, especially in areas such as automotive, aeronautics, electronics and biotech. With youth on their side, many of them are in their thirties or early forties, and they all have extensive experience in the private sector in Morocco or abroad.

Youssef El Bari, Secretary General

Ac ng as the global coordinator of Morocco’s “industry team”, Youssef El Bari is the secretary general of the Ministry of Industry, trade, green and digital economy. Prior to this, a graduate from the prestigious French engineering school Polytechnique, El Bari was the director of industrial innova on in Phosphate Giant OCP. El Bari is laser-focused on execu on and deals with numerous challenges in the transforma on of the administra on, alongside coordinating the diff erent departments and interac ons with other ministries. A seasoned jogger who used to run long distance, El Bari is a rising star in the Moroccan administration. Renowned for his solu ons-oriented character and his constant search for common ground, he is also well known for being a tough nego ator.

Ali Seddiki, General Director of Industry

Ali Seddiki, 35 years old, is one of the most esteemed actors of the Moroccan public industry. A graduate from HEC Paris, Ali started his career in a strategy consul ng fi rm based in Paris, and specialized in Aeronau cs, before joining the minister’s cabinet in 2014. He became director in charge of Aeronau cs, Rail, Naval and Renewable Energies and was project leader for the 1$ billion Boeing ecosystem in Morocco. He currently serves as General Director in charge of industry, and is in charge of developing the Moroccan industrial sector, which currently employs more than 800,000 people and generates $24 billion in exports. Seddiki’s scope of interven on encompasses regula on improvement, FDI development and industrial supply chain densifi ca on. Morocco’s industry is no longer a “boy’s club”: Following Morocco’s journey towards gender equality, the Kingdom’s industry is no longer a “boy’s club”, and two high profi le female leaders are in charge of some of the most crucial sectors.

Afaf Saaidi, Director of Aeronau cs, Railway and Renewables

Afaf Saaidi is an engineer and is currently preparing a PHD in Business. Saaidi accomplished most of her career in the public sector, and is the director overseeing the development of aeronau cs, railways and renewable energies. Prior to this, Saaidi was responsible for innova on, head of division for advanced technologies and head of division for industrial ecosystems.

Kenza El Alaoui, Director of Automo ve

Kenza El Alaoui, 39 years old, is currently the director of automo ve industry in the ministry, the most dynamic sector when it comes to exports. Automo ve is also one of the most important sectors for employment, with more then 700 000 vehicles produced per year. El Alaoui, a graduate from Engineering School Ecole des Mines, spent a great deal of her career in French automo ve giants Peugeot and Renault, before being scouted by the ministry in April 2018.

36PIONEER CITIES CHART A COURSE TOWARDS A MORE ETHICAL AND RESPONSIBLE FUTURE

The World Economic Forum an n o unced on the 17th of November in the face of extraordinary challenges that 36 cities across 22 countries and six con nents have agreed to pioneer a new roadmap for safely adop ng new technology as part of the G20 Global Smart Ci es Alliance. Cities are facing urgent challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic and other major disruptions, which are expected to culminate in a budget crisis that could reach $1 trillion in the United States alone. They need data and innova on to become more resilient, responsive and effi cient. Yet there is no global framework for how ci es should use these technologies, or the data they collect, in a way that protects the public interest. This is set to change with the launch of a new global policy roadmap by the G20 Global Smart Ci es Alliance, designed to give ci es the procedures, laws and regulations they need to use new technology responsibly. The

secretariat of the alliance is hosted at the World Economic Forum. “This roadmap is not about theoretical ideas and pipe dreams, it is built on prac cal, real-world policies from leading ci es around the globe,” said Jeff Merritt, Head of the Internet of Things and Urban Transforma on, World Economic Forum. “City governments are on the frontline of a global crisis and need to be able to act quickly and decisively to curtail this pandemic and set course for their economic recovery. Technology is an essen al tool in this fight but governments cannot risk falling into the usual traps related to privacy, security and vendor lock-in. That’s where the G20 Global Smart Ci es Alliance can help. ” To kickstart adop on of the roadmap, the alliance has recruited a group of 36 “pioneer ci es” that will collaborate with global experts to enhance their city policies, in areas ranging from privacy protection and cyber security to be er services for disabled people and better broadband coverage. The pioneer ci es are launching their activities today at a global event broadcast by Smart City Expo World Congress, the world’s premier smart ci es event. “This ini a ve originated in Japan last year from our Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolu on, a fact I’m very proud of,” said Koichi Akaishi, Vice Minister for Science, Technology and Innova on for the Cabinet Offi ce of the Government of Japan. “I hope to see more ci es par cipa ng in the Alliance following the model set by these fi rst pioneer ci es.”

Leaders of organiza ons par cipa ng in the programme: Miguel Eiras Antunes, Global Smart Cities Leader, Deloitte Global, said “The transforma on from a tradi onal city to a ‘smart city’ does not just happen overnight. Success depends on the quality of the decisions that are made and the way those decisions are executed. Deloi e is commi ed to working closely together with the G20 Global Smart Ci es Alliance on Technology Governance to co-design policy frameworks that will empower governments to accelerate smart ci es ini a ves for sustainable developments.” “Being a pioneer city in the G20 Global Smart Ci es Alliance is an excellent opportunity for us to promote the innova ve work that is taking place in Leeds right now, but also facilitates the opening of doors where we can learn from other leading ci es around the world and implement best prac ce in our city,” said Stephen Blackburn, Head of Smart Ci es, Leeds. London’s Chief Digital Offi cer, Theo Blackwell, said “We need to work together to realize the potential of data to solve city challenges by

pu ng it in the hands of those who can make a diff erence. But we also need to do it in a way that is safe, ethical and responsible. London is proud to join this global ini a ve as a pioneer city to promote the adop on of ethical smart city policies.” Will Cavendish, Digital Services Leader at Arup said “COVID-19 has driven a step-change in the use of digital services in ci es, and many of these changes will only accelerate beyond the pandemic. The policies developed by the G20 Smart Ci es Alliance will be fundamental in ensuring that the enabling digital connec vity and data infrastructures, along with the rapidly-emerging technology-enabled services, are deployed in an inclusive, transparent and mutually benefi cial manner.” “Technology and knowledge are two strategic assets to build inclusive, data-driven, and sustainable smart cities capable of tackling new and emerging challenges,” said Roberta Cocco, Deputy Mayor for Digital Transformation and Services to Citizens, Milan. “That is why Milan is joining the G20 Global Smart City Alliance, as this ini a ve will allow us to share best prac ces with innova ve ci es around the world. Today more than ever, in fact, we need to collaborate with each other to iden fy the most eff ec ve tools to face global threats like COVID-19. It is only by joining our forces that we can beat this common enemy that is threatening the health, the economy, and the future of our ci zens. ” Dr. Julia Glidden, Corporate Vice President, Worldwide Public Sector, Microso Corpora on, said “Accessibility and privacy policies are cri cal to making ci es more inclusive and transparent. Microso congratulates the Forum and G20 for creating model policies that aid ci es in serving all ci zens.” “We will adopt a transparent and par cipatory philosophy of local governance in the city of Istanbul,” said Ekrem İmamoğlu, Mayor of Istanbul. “Our aim is to empathize with all segments of society, and value the par cipa on of everyone, ensuring that the majority of the people are represented – not the few.” Eduard Lysenko, Minister of the Moscow Government, Head of the Moscow Department of Informa on Technologies, said “Digitaliza on of urban infrastructure and en re spectrum of social services belongs to the Moscow Government’s prioritized policies. Moscow has developed and widely employs digital pla orms that increase the availability of electronic services and improve the quality of life and safety of its ci zens. Those platforms allowed by the way to promptly provide the Muscovites with the maximum level of protec on in the face of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Today we are ready to share experiences and coordinate eff orts within the pioneer city programme for the G20 Global Smart Ci es Alliance. We develop technologies not for the sake of technologies, but for the sake of people.” Gilvan Maximo, Secretary of Science, Technology and Innovation, Brazil, said “The G20 Global Smart Cities Alliance will provide us with a global partnership to accelerate the adop on of technologies in a responsible manner and for the benefit of the ci zen, deba ng complex issues and seeking joint solutions. Therefore, Brasilia is eager to par cipate in this joint work.” “This opportunity to collaborate as a G20 Global Smart Cities Alliance pioneer city on a new roadmap for safely adopting new technology is very welcome indeed as we work to develop a Belfast Smart District and to weave digital innova on into every part of our economy,” said Alderman Frank McCoubrey, Lord Mayor of Belfast. “We’ll be exploiting new technologies and data to tackle city challenges in areas such as health and mobility to improve our ci zens’ quality of life – and we must ensure this is done ethically and in a way that priori zes transparency, privacy, equity and inclusion. Being part of the G20 Global Smart Ci es Alliance on Technology Governance means that each of the partner cities will

benefi t from expert, tailored insights and policy tools and this collabora ve approach will allow us all to make progress in how we govern technology more swi ly and eff ec vely, for the benefit of all our ci zens. ” Dr. Frank Mentrup, Mayor of Karlsruhe, said “The G20 Global Smart Ci es Alliance off ers a unique opportunity to develop common ethical standards, foster digital sovereignty and therefore create and build a new resilient ‘trust infrastructure for ci es and ci zens’, as trust is going to become one of the most important and most vulnerable resources of our future.” We believe that technology is a key enabler that can transform our ci es in to smart ci es leading to delivery of improved services to ci zens and businesses”, said K.T. Rama Rao, Minister of Municipal Administra on and Urban Development, Industries and Informa on Technology, Electronics and Communication, Government of Telangana, India. “We are keen to collaborate with G20 cities in

List of pioneer cities (in alphabetical order):

• Apeldoorn, Netherlands • Barcelona, Spain • Belfast, United Kingdom • Bengaluru, India • Bilbao, Spain • Bogotá, Colombia • Brasilia, Brazil • Buenos Aires, Argen na • Cha anooga, USA • Cordoba, Argen na • Daegu, South Korea • Dubai, UAE • eThekwini (Durban),

South Africa • Faridabad, India • Gaziantep, Turkey • Hamamatsu, Japan • Hyderabad, India • Indore, India • Istanbul, Turkey • Kaga, Japan • Kakogawa, Japan • Kampala, Uganda • Karlsruhe, Germany • Leeds, United Kingdom • Lisbon, Portugal • London, United Kingdom • Maebashi, Japan • Manila, Philippines • Medellín, Colombia • Melbourne, Australia • Mexico City, Mexico • Milan, Italy • Moscow, Russia • Newcastle, Australia • San José, USA • Toronto, Canada

formulating policy frameworks to improve quality of life of our ci zens using emerging technologies.” "Transforming our cities into smart cities is a great tool to improve people's life quality,” said Horacio Rodriguez Larreta, Mayor of Buenos Aires. “That is why we are commi ed to con nue incorpora ng technology, developing innova ve public policies, and to work together with the G20 ci es to build a modern and effi cient state that makes life easier for everyone who lives, works, studies or visits us in Buenos Aires." "The pandemic presents an opportunity to reshape our future, with renewed digital rights and tools that should allow access for all and people-centred government. Local and regional governments will need to lead this shi to ensure the applica on of technology promotes human rights through equitable public service provision; pu ng our communi es and planet fi rst,” said Emilia Saiz, Secretary General of the United Ci es and Local Governments. “The G20 Smart Ci es Alliance is an important mechanism to help facilitate this transforma on, bringing together a cri cal network of partners to collec vely address and mi gate future crises" For more informa on on the new policy roadmap and the Pioneer Ci es Programme, go to globalsmartci esalliance.org.

About the Pioneers of Change Summit 2020

The World Economic Forum’s inaugural Pioneers of Change Summit will take place online on 16-20 November. The summit brings together more than 750 leaders from government, business and civil society from more than 90 countries. The summit takes place at a me when there is a rare, but narrow, window of opportunity to refl ect, reimagine and reset the world. Key topics discussed include: digital business, sustainable production, infrastructure, health, new work models, fi nancial innova on and fron er technologies. Members of the media wishing to par cipate are welcome to sign up at h p://wef.ch/mediaat-

pioneers.