International University of RABAT, IAI Sign to Establish an Aeronautics and AI Center of Excellence

The International University of Rabat (UIR) and IAI have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to establish a center of excellence focused on aeronautics, artificial intelligence research and innovation.

The agreement aims to strengthen cooperation and partnership in applied research, innovation, co-development and incubation. It follows the signing of a partnership agreement a few months ago between Mr. Noureddine Mouaddib, President of UIR, and Eytan Eshel, CTO of IAI, in the presence of Amir Peretz, formerly Israel's Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense, and Minister of Economy and Industry, and currently Chairman of Board of Directors of IAI, and Boaz Levy, President and CEO of the company.

A signing ceremony for the establishment of the Center of Excellence in Aeronautics and Artificial Intelligence took place on Monday, May 22 on the UIR campus. This project serves to consolidate and strengthen the strategic partnership signed last November between UIR and IAI.

This Center of Excellence is a pioneering initiative that aims to promote research, innovation, technology and the creation of competitive national tech startups. The Center will foster collaboration and collective intelligence among various stakeholders, including academic institutions.

The Center will also serve as a platform and space for exchange between Moroccan and Israeli companies, as well as research centers engaged in the co-development of advanced technological products or innovative solutions for the aerospace industry. It will contribute to strengthening Morocco's position as an attractive competence hub and reinforce the strategic partnership between Morocco and Israel.

In conjunction with the signing, two days of joint workshops between UIR and IAI took place, focusing on areas of cooperation and themes aligned with the mission of the Center of Excellence. Researchers, engineers and experts from both organizations shared the progress of their research, development, and innovation work, as well as their experiences with emerging and existing technologies. The findings of the seminars will contribute to enriching the roadmap of the new Center of Excellence.