The Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah University of Fez (USMBA) won the prestigious international German-African Innovation Incentive Award on Thursday in Berlin.
The concentrated photovoltaic project, led by the director of the Ecole Normale Supérieure (ENS), Ali Ahaitouf, was rewarded for its significant contribution to the development of Morocco, particularly thanks to the opportunities it offers in the field of manufacturing , the university said in a press release.
This project focuses on research in concentrated photovoltaic energy, a field where the USMBA team has distinguished itself through its long-standing expertise, reinforced by obtaining funding from the IRESEN Foundation for one of its research projects in this strategic area, notes the same source.
According to Mr. Ahaitouf, this technology would make it possible to produce high densities of electrical power with small multi-junction solar cells, and therefore using fewer materials, reports MAP.
The counter-cost is the use of optical elements capable of concentrating the sun on a small area and thus increasing the power density, it is explained.
According to the same source, the Moroccan team’s project benefited from the maximum funding granted to a project, amounting to 150,000 euros.
This is one of six prizes awarded across the entire African continent, and was awarded among 60 competing projects, specifies the press release, which emphasizes that this success is explained by “the strong added value of the project for Morocco and have real potential for industrialization.
The Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University of Fez represented Morocco at the German-African Innovation Prize alongside five other countries, namely Ethiopia, Ghana, Namibia, Nigeria and Uganda.
