Agricultural research partnership for OCP, UM6P and Fertinagro Biotech

Mohammed VI Polytechnic University – UM6P (Morocco) and OCP Group signed, on November 27 at the -Universidad Empresa- Meeting, in Zaragoza (Spain), an agreement with Fertinagro Biotech, a company of the Térvalis Group (Spain), to develop, along with leading Spanish Universities, chairs that train researchers who subsequently serve in companies that provide sustainable solutions for the development of African and world agriculture and livestock. 

The agreement will involve the training of researchers who will seek and develop innovation projects in fields such as sustainability and development, based on actions that promote the circular economy and, at the same time, lead to a well-being for the environment and sustainability. 

Mohammed VI Polytechnic University stands out for being very focused on Research and Development and is leading the way in new technologies, while the company Fertinagro Biotech, belonging to the Térvalis Group, is a global reference in sustainable research and development, focused on research in agronomic solutions that benefit the planet. 

The objective of this agreement, through which the three partners materialize a unique cooperation to promote knowlege without barriers for Agriculture, is promoting the training of professionals who develop their activity from companies that stand out for developing sustainable solutions for Africa, Europe and for the world. 

The agreement is supported by OCP Group, a world leading company in the phosphate-based plant nutrition solutions worlwide and a strategic partner in Fertinagro Biotech company since 2018. OCP, through its African and International presence, will provide the expertise and technicity of its teams in order to conduct practical tests on the field and measure their concrete implications on the ground. 

The collaboration between these institutions will also include connections with the leading universities of Spain in the fields of Agriculture, Circular Economy and Agro-biosciences, and will encompass mainly the following areas : training teams for Europe and Africa in Agro-biosciences, providing access and transfer of solutions for farmers and ranchers, and research and development programs in fields such as the study of agricultural ecosystems for the minimization of the environmental impact related to agriculture, biorefinery based on biomaterials, the biological capital of soils or seaweed farming. 

Mohamed VI Polytechnic University is committed to training the future leadership of the continent and brings together the best researchers in áreas such as sustainable development, mining and agricultural science. Hicham El Habti, UM6P Secretary General said, “Our University is dedicated to research and innovation for Africa, we aim to position ourselves among world-renowned universities in these fields. Our objective is to consolidate Morocco’s frontline position in R&D, in a unique partnership-based approach and boosting skills training, relevant for the future of Africa. We develop research and education initiatives to make our University a hub for knowledge transfer and sharing, with a particular focus on agriculture and food security challenges, and we see this strategic partnership as a key catalyst into achieveing this ambition.” 

In the words of Sergio Atares, director of strategic development of the Térvalis Group, “Our country is advancing thanks to the researchers who carry out their activity in the different chairs that we have in Zaragoza and Valencia, and that we will now have at Mohamed VI Polytechnic University. These chairs, as well as the research we do in CSIC centers, allow us to move from idea to market, from mind to innovation, with developments that help the well-being of society. In Spain and in Morocco there is very good research, they are characterized by developing projects based on the guarantee of excellence of a whole team of professionals who seek solutions to the current problems of society, promoting the development of our countries, and allowing better quality life for everyone”. 

Térvalis Group has chairs in different Spanish universities, specifically in the cities of Zaragoza and Valencia. The Group considers universities "the perfect partner to transfer knowledge and research to real life. "Along with UM6P and with the support of OCP Group, this partnership will promote unique knownledge sharing and transfer without borders at the service of sustainable agriculture