Le Bourget  /PRNewswire/ - Boeing (NYSE: BA) today announced it will conduct a trade summit in Casablanca later this year in partnership with the Moroccan Ministry of Industry, Trade and New Technologies. The October 12th trade mission will introduce Boeing suppliers to Moroccan companies and encourage strong partnerships with the country through the Moroccan Aerospace Industries Association.

"We have a long and productive relationship with Morocco, dating back to 1969 when Royal Air Maroc first purchased a Boeing 727," said Stan Deal, vice president and general manager of Supplier Management for Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "We are experiencing an unprecedented surge in demand for airplanes. The Moroccan government has made a strong commitment to developing its aerospace industry, both in infrastructure and workforce training, that will support that growth. We feel that Boeing and our suppliers can benefit from an expansion of the aerospace industry there."

Boeing is already a shareholder in MATIS, a Moroccan company specializing in aerospace wiring and harness products that will celebrate its 10th anniversary of operation later this year. Boeing has also developed strong relationships with many of the 100 other aerospace-related companies in Morocco.

"Morocco has identified the aerospace industry as a key sector for investment as part of its global industrial strategy," said Ahmed R. Chami, Minister of Industry, Trade and New Technologies.

"We believe that partnerships, like the one we have with Boeing, demonstrate that we have developed an attractive aerospace value proposition that includes specific incentives in infrastructure, training and taxes, among others. We are excited to grow our partnership with Boeing to include more of Boeing's suppliers who, we are certain, will find a welcoming environment for investment in Morocco," said Chami.

With its location linking Europe and Africa, Morocco has made key investments in its aerospace industry over the past five years, guided by the National Pact for Industrial Emergence, initiated in 2009 by the Ministry of Industry, Trade and New Technologies. Earlier this year His Majesty, the King Mohamed VI, announced the formation of the Moroccan Aerospace Institute (IMA) and the Industrial Platform of Nouasseur (midParc).

IMA is an innovative and successful partnership between the public and the private sectors, represented by the Moroccan Aerospace Industries Association. The main fields of study are composites, assembly, metalworking, control, electrical systems and wiring.

midParc, the Industrial Platform of Nouasseur, is a state-of-the-art 125-hectare offshore industrial zone near Casablanca Airport and adjacent to IMA.  It can host up to four hundred companies specialized in the aerospace, defense, security, medical and high-tech industries.

Source: Press Release (Boeing)