CMA CGM reinforces its commitment towards Morocco with new partnerships

The CMA CGM Group, a world leader in shipping and logistics, is renewing and extending its commitment to Morocco with the signature of two major agreements in Casablanca:

• A framework agreement to scale up the partnership between the CMA CGM Group and the Moroccan Merchant Navy Academy (ISEM), which operates under the tutelage of Morocco’s Ministry of Equipment, Transport, Logistics and Water, to provide initial training for cadets and on-the-job training for the Group’s staff members;
• A partnership agreement between ZEBOX, the international incubator and accelerator for innovative start-ups set up by Rodolphe Saadé, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the CMA GGM Group, and the French chamber of commerce and industry in Morocco (CFCIM). This agreement will facilitate the selection and bolster the development of young companies in the fields of transport, logistics, mobility and industry 4.0. 

The CMA CGM Group first joined forces with the ISEM in 2014. Since then, 34 cadets have been trained and now serve on CMA CGM Group vessels, such as the CMA CGM TANGER and the CMA CGM AGADIR, two 1,118 TEU (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units) containerships sailing under the Moroccan flag, as well as on other Group vessels around the world. The new framework agreement will extend the partnership between CMA CGM and the ISEM. As a result, at least eight student officers will be trained every year. Joint on-the-job training and research projects will also be established.

ZEBOX, of which the CMA CGM Group is a founding partner, is set to support and guide the CFCIM with implementing a common sourcing program to identify and underpin the development of high-potential Moroccan tech start-ups. That will include giving them access to one of two high-level support programs provided by ZEBOX.

Morocco, which lies at the crossroads between Europe, Africa and the Mediterranean, represents a strategic country for the development of CMA CGM, which has had a local presence since 1983. The Group is currently a leading player in shipping and logistics in Morocco, with:

• A thousand staff members
• Over 1,300 calls per annum
• 24 shipping services providing worldwide connections
• Over 80 ports served directly from Morocco
   

Reflecting the importance it places on Morocco, the Group has taken concrete steps to promote the country’s shipping expertise, including through COMANAV, which joined the Group in 2007.

In addition to its shipping activities, the CMA CGM Group’s logistics and port activities give it a major presence in Morocco. In April 2018, CMA CGM invested in the Atlas Multimodal International logistics facility in Tangiers to make it a full-fledged advanced hub for its customers. CEVA Logistics, which became part of the Group in 2019, has a unit in Morocco specialized in air transport and is pursuing an ambitious development plan focused on warehousing and road transport.

Through its Terminal Link subsidiary, the CMA CGM Group also wholly owns a terminal in Casablanca via Somaport and has a 40% interest in Tanger Med Eurogate terminal. The Group is also involved in upgrading Morocco’s port infrastructure, conducting dredging and modernization works at the port of Casablanca to accommodate larger vessels and thus broaden its appeal.