Morocco has the means to export its own engineering

Thursday 27 November 2025 - 09:00

By: Sahili Aya

Morocco has the means to export its own engineering

During the panel “Industrial Transformation & Value Chains: Competing on the Global Stage” at the 17th Medays International Forum, held in Tangier from 26 to 29 November 2025 under the High Patronage of HM King Mohammed VI, Nassim Belkheyat, founder of Neo Motor, outlined a bold vision for Morocco’s automotive future. Addressing an audience of policymakers and industry leaders, he highlighted both the challenges and the breakthroughs that have shaped the emergence of a fully Moroccan car manufacturer.

“Tanger Med was a game changer”

Belkheyat began by emphasizing the decisive role of Morocco’s infrastructure strategy: “Tanger Med Port was a game changer for Morocco. It embodies a royal vision that placed infrastructure at the heart of global value-chain integration.”

According to him, the industrial zones of Tangier and Kenitra, combined with logistics hubs and engineering centers, created the foundation needed to imagine a national carmaker: “Everything was there — training ecosystems, logistics platforms, industrial accelerators. That’s what convinced us in 2016 that Neo Motor could become a reality.”

Entering a closed and capital-intensive industry

Reflecting on the company’s early years, he acknowledged the difficulty of breaking into a sector known for its exclusivity: “The automotive industry is a closed, capital-heavy world where expertise is strongly protected. We experienced that firsthand.”

Access to essential equipment and know-how became possible only through strategic partnerships: “Thanks to Stellantis and Renault, we gained entry to a global ecosystem. This is what enabled us to integrate an engine produced in Kenitra and to reach nearly 60% local component manufacturing today.”

“Our answer is sovereign remanufacturing”

Faced with the growing dominance of Asian manufacturers, Belkheyat revealed the strategic direction Neo Motor is taking: “We chose to break away from traditional vehicle creation. Our answer is sovereign remanufacturing: take proven platforms, import them, rebuild and certify them in Morocco, then reexport them under a Moroccan brand.”

This model allows the country to drastically reduce development costs and timelines: “Designing a vehicle from scratch requires around €200 million. African countries cannot sustain such investment cycles. But we can master and relocate existing expertise.”

A Moroccan ecosystem ready for electric mobility

Belkheyat also stressed Morocco’s rapid progress in battery production, from raw material to cell manufacturing: “In two years, Morocco will have the entire battery value chain, from phosphate to the finished cell. It’s a historic opportunity.”

Neo Motor has already invested in battery-packing units and advanced BMS technology: “The BMS is the battery’s brain. We now have a dedicated team trained to master it locally.”

“We transform existing know-how and make it exportable”

He concluded by highlighting Morocco’s strategic advantage thanks to its free-trade agreements with major global markets: “With the European Union, the United States and the AfCFTA, we have access to more than two billion consumers. Our goal is clear: produce in Morocco and export.”

For Belkheyat, the ambition is firmly continental and international: “We are not reinventing the wheel. We take global know-how, transform it, and make it exportable from Morocco. This is how we will build a sovereign industry.”