The Group has close ties with local SMEs and universities and is a member of leading professional associations, including GIMAS (Groupement des Industries Marocaines Aéronautiques et Spatiales), GIFER (Groupement des Industries Ferroviaires), CFCIM (Chambre Française de Commerce et d’Industrie du Maroc) and CLUSIM (Club de la Sécurité de l’Information Marocain). Thales operates an industrial competence center specialising in 3D printing, located in Casablanca and serving international customers.
Since the acquisition of Gemalto in 2019 - now Thales Digital Identity & Security, Thales is also a trusted identity and biometric partner in Morocco.
With a view to supporting economic development in Morocco as well as tapping into local skills and capabilities, Thales set up in 2016 an industrial facility in Casablanca specialising in metal additive manufacturing (3D metal printing).
With metallic 3D printing, the components can be produced with more complex structures which is not possible with conventional manufacturing processes, with shorter implementation times. The objects, thus manufactured, make it possible to integrate several functions into a single piece. Additive manufacturing makes it possible to integrate major technological breakthroughs for increased performance of Thales products.
This technology represents a real revolution in the design and production of mechanical parts. The Thales plant in Morocco presents the latest innovations in smart and connected industrial installations as part of the Group’s transition to the latest digital technologies and industry 4.0.
Through the Casablanca competence center, Thales is now part of a local ecosystem of high-performance industrial suppliers, specialising in the design and production of mechanical parts, offering the possibility of meeting stringent requirements in terms of quality, performance and cost for the aerospace market.
Partnership with the academic research community
In the fields of training and research, Thales has forged strong ties with local universities. In April 2013, Thales and Rabat International University signed a partnership agreement covering aerospace, space and cybersecurity to support technological innovation through training and research.
Support for academic training is a priority for Thales and one of the strategic pillars of its involvement in Morocco. Thales has a long-standing partnership with INPT (Institut National des Postes et Télécommunications) in Rabat, whose training program has trained more than 150 engineers from INPT, ENSA and Moroccan universities on high-tech telecom systems. Thales also has strong ties with MAScIR and ENSA Marrakesh to develop training opportunities in radar architectures.
The Group is also supporting research into Additive Layer Manufacturing (ALM) technology in partnership with the universities of Fes, Tangiers and Meknes.