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At the dawn of an era where artificial intelligence is redefining the contours of development, Africa faces a dual challenge: harnessing the promises of technology while ensuring they address local realities. The stakes are manifold: unequal access to connectivity, fragmented access to data, a shortage of specialized training, and disparities in infrastructure.
It is at this crossroads that Mohammed VI Polytechnic University positions itself, with a mission to anchor these developments in an African model that is relevant, resilient, sustainable, and fair. The AI Movement center, designated a Category II center by UNESCO, provides this ambition with a platform for research, ethics, fieldwork, and innovation capable of connecting international aspirations with the daily reality of African territories. This hub, based on seven pillars (research, innovation, training, ethics, etc.), addresses African challenges such as low connectivity and the lack of local data.
In agriculture, the analysis of 3D point clouds or the integration of satellite data supports soil mapping and water management in arid environments. Experiments conducted in Morocco are paving the way for applications in other regions of sub-Saharan Africa, where agriculture remains the primary employer but suffers from low yields.
In the field of health, the AI Movement supports training and innovation projects. The African Women in Tech and AI initiative exemplifies this dynamic by strengthening the skills of African women in developing solutions tailored to local contexts, such as early diagnosis based on federated learning. These initiatives operate in a landscape where most AI funding is concentrated in a few countries, creating a significant need for pan-African cooperation.
Digital transformation is another central focus. The Morocco Digital Academy, established in 2023 with international partners, has enabled over 7,000 young people to train in basic and advanced digital skills, with particular attention to accessibility in low-connectivity contexts. The university also hosts scientific events such as the International Week on AI and Distributed Systems, which brought together researchers and practitioners around emerging topics, from quantum machine learning to data privacy.
On the entrepreneurship front, UM6P has supported over 1,000 startups and project leaders since 2017, covering strategic fields such as deeptech, agriculture, health, and greentech. In 2025, structural partnerships opened new perspectives in fintech and greentech, with investment tickets ranging from 2 to 30 million dirhams (200,000 to 3 million dollars), without exclusivity to maximize impact. The launch of the Explorer Innovation Fund in spring 2025 allowed selected student projects to benefit from intensive 4- to 5-month support, culminating in pitch sessions before investors. At the 2025 DeepTech Summit, which gathered over 5,500 participants from 53 countries, the DTS Prize recognized Nyunga Afrika as a promising African startup, reinforcing the visibility and continental anchoring of the ecosystem.
UM6P’s commitment extends beyond national borders through its participation in the U7+ Alliance. In 2025, at the annual meeting in Ottawa, UM6P took part in the work of the working groups, particularly on AI and inclusive innovation, culminating in a joint statement addressed to G7 leaders on the role of universities in the governance and responsible use of artificial intelligence.
UM6P’s participation in MTL connect 2025, through its global hub in Montréal, aligns with this same logic of dialogue and international cooperation. The planned exchanges focus on strategic themes such as AI ethics, digital sovereignty, and climate innovation. Montréal, as a francophone hub for AI, represents a conducive space for dialogue on inclusion and digital governance, resonating with African ambitions and Morocco’s national digital strategy, driven by the “Morocco Digital 2030” agenda.