On the occasion of the strengthening of the strategic partnership between Attijariwafa bank and Bpifrance, on the sidelines of the France-Morocco business forum, Mr. Youssef Rouissi, Deputy Managing Director of the Corporate and Investment Banking division of Attijariwafa bank, looks back on a decade of collaboration and highlights the benefits for Moroccan and French companies, innovative tools like Attijari Business Link, and the crucial role of co-financing in economic development between the two shores of the Mediterranean.
Mr. Rouissi, Attijariwafa bank and Bpifrance have just strengthened their cooperation, on the sidelines of the France (Medef)-Morocco, (CGEM) business forum held in Rabat, can you present to our readers the results for Moroccan companies, of this relationship that has lasted for 10 years?
Attijariwafa bank is a pan-African banking and financial group, actively engaged in supporting and supporting economic operators for their development projects, both in their domestic and international markets. With its expertise, the Group plays a key role in facilitating economic exchanges on the African continent.
For its part, Bpifrance, the French public investment bank, has the mission, entrusted by the French State, to support French companies in their development. It provides them with financing and support at each crucial stage of their journey, particularly during the phases of creation, growth, innovation and internationalization.
This partnership, established in June 2014, has the main objectives of promoting exchanges and the development of Moroccan, African and French businesses, by creating an environment conducive to collaboration. It also aims to support French investments in Morocco, thus strengthening bilateral economic ties. In addition, it encourages collaborations between Moroccan and French companies operating in similar sectors, facilitating the sharing of skills and know-how. Finally, the partnership promotes the co-financing of markets in sub-Saharan Africa, in order to support companies in their expansion in this strategic market, a source of numerous growth opportunities.
This partnership strengthens economic ties between Morocco and France, creating growth and collaboration opportunities for businesses on both shores of the Mediterranean.
At a time when Morocco is focusing on private investment, how does this cooperation encourage and support companies to invest? What are the financial tools of this contribution? Are companies in strategic sectors the only beneficiaries (industry, energy)?
At Attijariwafa bank, our mission to create value for African companies is based on a strong commitment to supporting them in their growth, international expansion and integration into the global economy.
Our partnership with Bpifrance is part of this vision and plays an essential role in promoting Euro-African investments. This partnership supports the entrepreneurial dynamic on both shores of the Mediterranean, in particular for young people, self-employed people and very small, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). It is designed to encourage and support a new generation of entrepreneurs, providing them with the means to succeed in national and international markets. As a pan-African player, Attijariwafa bank implements various initiatives to promote strengthened cooperation between the North and the South. Our regional network and our synergies with Bpifrance facilitate access and co-financing of markets and support for companies in all stages of their development.
Thanks to this partnership, we also promote the development of synergies and targeted support for French companies in Morocco, by offering them diversified financial and non-financial services. Although we are particularly involved in strategic sectors such as energy and industry, we also support companies in various sectors that have identified investment opportunities. Our objective is to contribute to regional economic growth by creating an ecosystem conducive to innovation, co-development and sustainable growth.
On an operational level, can you present Attijari Business link to us? Is it a platform for establishing relationships exclusively between French and Moroccan operators? Is its usefulness to constitute a community for sharing expertise mainly or for financing business investment projects?
Attijariwafa bank places non-financial support for businesses at the heart of its sustainable development strategy in Morocco and Africa.
As part of its partnership with Bpifrance, the group strengthened its support system for very small, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by launching the Attijari Business Link community in 2016, a digital space designed to generate synergies between business leaders. companies and project leaders. This system is integrated into Euroquity, a digital platform developed by Bpifrance, whose mission is to facilitate professional networking and connections with potential investors. This platform allows them to raise funds or establish commercial and technological partnerships according to their needs. Euroquity is one of the most influential digital networks in Europe, exclusively intended for businesses, investors and support structures.
Attijari Business Link plays a central role in connecting, training and informing entrepreneurs, investors and support structures, while offering a range of differentiated and high-quality services. This platform is specially designed for businesses, with features allowing structures of all sizes and from all sectors to increase their online visibility and build links with partners essential for their growth. It thus allows companies to present their activities, to connect with support networks, competitiveness clusters, incubators, accelerators, clusters, investors, advisors and experts from different fields.
Today, the Attijari Business Link community, the result of this partnership and a real bridge between Europe and Africa, brings together more than 1,700 members and generates more than 12,000 connections each year. In addition, Attijariwafa bank regularly organizes online webinars for its customers, covering current themes and offering additional resources to support their development.
Mr. Rouissi, how is the partnership between Attijariwafa bank and Bpifrance achieved through co-financing? Do Attijariwafa bank and Bpifrance finance French companies in Morocco or Africa as well?
The experience and expertise of our institutions in supporting projects have reinforced our commitment to collaborating in the field of co-financing. Thanks to this partnership, we are able to effectively support Moroccan and French companies, by providing them with resources and solutions adapted to their investment, growth and innovation needs.
For Moroccan companies, our partnership with Bpifrance opens opportunities to acquire stakes in strategic projects. We support operators throughout their investment projects, whether developing new activities, expanding their operations or innovating in their sector. This approach facilitates their expansion, both on local and international markets, and contributes to their competitiveness.
At the same time, Attijariwafa bank supports French companies wishing to establish themselves in Morocco, as mentioned previously. This support translates into personalized advice and adapted financing solutions. In addition, the partnership with Bpifrance makes it possible to offer additional financial guarantees thanks to counter-guarantees, thus strengthening the security of investments and facilitating procedures for French companies.
Finally, we are actively involved in financing French, international and African companies in infrastructure projects. In this regard, our regional presence in 15 African countries combined with the expertise of the Attijariwafa bank group in terms of structuring, financing and syndication, allows us to support large-scale projects, thus contributing to the economic development of the continent.
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