Tangible User Interface for logistics in Morocco

The LIST and the Cluster for Logistics hosted a Moroccan delegation on 23 and 24 March in the context of a project to use a technology demonstrator for collaborative decision making in areas such as logistics or management of extreme weather events.

Logistics in Morocco and in Luxembourg, but also the bridges to be built between the two countries were the focus of discussions for most of the first day. The managers of the logistics clusters of the two countries stressed that the concerns are the same on both sides of the Mediterranean, and the respective national plans for logistics development take into account the same concerns. During the visit, the Bettembourg CFL-multimodal station, the railway and the Eurohub-Sud project particularly interested the Moroccan delegation.

The discussions also focussed on investment opportunities in Morocco and the next call for expression of interest related to the development of the port of Tanger-Med. Morocco's substantial needs for vocational training on the one hand, and the potential of ICT support to the development of the logistics on the other were also highlighted.

Catia Goncalves, project officer at the International Economic Relations department of the Luxembourg Ministry of Foreign Affairs, participated in most of the exchanges. She emphasized the importance of direct technology transfer projects for the development of international economic relations to areas of national interest.

Demonstrations and discussions helped to promote LIST activities in the fields of "Tangible User Interface-TUI", "Water Security & Safety" and "Geocomputation" and their various related applications, including those relating to the collaborative decision making in city logistics, or interactive pedagogy.

In the end, the representatives of the clusters and of the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST) identified new project valuation opportunities in progress, including notably a joint presence at the exhibition of logistics in the Southern Mediterranean (LogisMed 2015) to be held in Casablanca from 12 to 14 May 2015. They also agreed on contacts to establish for the expansion of the technological and economic cooperation between the two countries.

Finally, the visit of experiential training center "Learning Factory" in Foetz and the discovery of Belval Science City allowed to present other advantages of Luxembourg.

This visit took place as part of a collaboration agreement with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Luxembourg and followed a mission to the International Private University of Agadir. In this context, the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST) contributes, through the transfer of technologies, "Networking and Business Development" between Luxembourg and the 10 South Mediterranean Member States of Euromed.

From left to right: Noureddine DIB (Manager of the Moroccan Agency of Development of Logistics) Yassine Rhanmouni (President of the Logipôle logistics hub of the Souss Mass Draa), Ilias Majdouline (Director of the Polytechnic School of International Private University of Agadir), Ronny Wolff (Cluster for Logistics), Valerie Maquil (LIST) and David Evaristo (LIST).