Definition of the Structure

The ultimate objective of research valorization (or promotion of research) at University Mohammed V-Agdal is the capitalization of the university experience in view of developing partnership relations with the socio-economic world, entrepreneurship, protection and valorization of intellectual property and technologies transfer, so that the university can fully carry out its new mission as a driving force of development.

The University Structure for valorization (USV) consists of the presidency structure for valorization (PSV) and a valorization structure per institution (ISV). It includes mechanisms of interface, of incubator, of nursery companies and of Scientific Park.

Objectives of the Structure

• Openness of the university on its socio-economic environment.
• Development of partnerships with the socio-economic world.
• Valorization and development of scientific and technical research.
• Development of professionalism relating to activities of continuous education, provision of services, research and development and intellectual property management.
• Optimum use of human and material resources available.
• Creation of jobs at the laboratories of the university.
• Creation of Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) generating jobs.
• Development of the entrepreneurial spirit among the academic community.

Missions of the USV

• To develop partnerships with companies, public organisms and laboratories of research not belonging to University Mohammed V-Agdal in the framework of projects financed by the State, territorial collectivities, public and private organizations or by international cooperation.
• To organize continuous training sessions for the benefit of the socio-economic world in coordination with the university institutions.
• To ensure scientific and technological monitoring activities as well as activities of economic intelligence.
• To facilitate research result transfer to the socio-economic fields.
• To negotiate agreements of cooperation and technologies transfer.
• To protect research works via intellectual property.
• To manage the university's patent portfolio.
• To develop the entrepreneurial spirit inside the university and create projects of innovative enterprises through intellectual property valorisation, especially those linked to the creation of the "spin-off".
• To coordinate the management of university innovative business incubators.
• To develop and manage the University Scientific Park and a nursery for innovative companies that will be hosted in partnership with the socio-economic world.

Organization of the USV

The organization of the university valorization structure is ensured by a Board of Orientation and a Steering Committee.

Board of Orientation

This Board draws the general policy of structure valorization. Its role equals that of the Board of Directors of a company. It is composed of members belonging to the university and representatives of partner organisms willing to participate in the performance of the objectives of this structure.
It consists of the following members:
• The president of the University Mohammed V-Agdal.
• The Vice-president in charge of Research and Research Valorisation.
• The heads of institutions affiliated to the University.
• Two professors members at the University Council appointed by this Council.
• The Director of Scientific Research at the Ministry of Scientific and Technical Research.
• The Director of Technology at the Ministry of Scientific and Technical Research.
• The Director of the National Centre for Scientific and Technical Research (CNRST).
• The Director of Research and Development (R&D) and Innovation at the Ministerial Department of Industry.
• The president of the Association of Friends of the University Mohammed V-Agdal.
• The Mayor of Rabat.
• The president of Rabat-Salé-Zemmour-Zaêr region.
• General Directors of two large companies and of a small and medium Sized company/Small and Medium Sized Industry interested in the structure of valorization.
The Orientation Board is chaired by the president of the University. The Board meets once per year, at least.

Steering Committee

This Committee is in charge of the execution of the orientation Council directives, the control of PSV, the assessment of activity reports established by institutions' structures of valorization and the presentation of a report account to the Board of orientation, focusing on the creation of synergies between the ISV.
It consists of:
• members by-laws: the president of the University; the Vice- president in charge of research; heads of institutions; managers of the ISV and the head of the PSV; the Director of the nursery and the Director of the Scientific Park.
• Six members, representing the major areas of scientific and technical competencies of the university and designated by the president of the University among managers of structures of research and doctoral studies, for a period of three years renewable once.
• Five experts of the socio-economic world.
The Steering Committee meetings are convened and chaired by the president of the university who may delegate his responsibilities to the Vice-president in charge of research.

Structure of Valorization " PSV "

Missions

• To ensure scientific and technological monitoring as well as activities of economic intelligence.
• To protect the works of research via intellectual property.
• To manage the university's patent portfolio and help in writing descriptive inventions theses and giving advice in relation to intellectual property.
• To develop synergies and mutual assistance between the SVE.
• To coordinate the management of innovative enterprises incubators of the University.
• To develop and manage, in partnership with the socio-economic world, the University Scientific Park and a nursery for innovative companies.

Organization of the PSV

The management of the PSV is carried out by the Steering Committee of the USV. The day-to-day management of the PSV is ensured by a management body composed of the head of the PSV, mission delegates, a jurist and a secretariat (organization chart of the PSV).

Structure of Valorization " ISV "

Missions

• To develop partnerships with companies, public institutions and laboratories of research in the framework of projects financed by the State, territorial collectivities, public and private organisms or by international cooperation.
• To ensure activities of scientific and technological monitoring as well as activities of economic intelligence with the help of the PSV.
• To prospect, negotiate, draw up and manage contracts of research and services performed by the laboratories of the institution.
• To prospect, organize and manage, in coordination with the laboratories of the institution, sessions of continuing education for the benefit of the socio-economic world.
• To facilitate the transfer of research results to the socio-economic fields.
• To protect the works of research via intellectual property and PSV services.
• To develop the entrepreneurial spirit inside the institution and give birth to projects of innovative enterprises through intellectual property valorisation, especially those linked to the creation of the "spin-off".
• Incubate projects of innovative enterprises.

Organization of the ISV

The Organization of each ISV is carried out by a Steering Committee and a management body.

Steering Committee of a ISV

This Committee is in charge of the execution of the USV Board of orientation directives, the presentation of proposals for projects, the study of related technical files and the monitoring of projects selected realization. Moreover, the committee validates the ISV activity reports that will be given to the USV for evaluation, and creates synergies between the laboratories of the institution.
It consists of:
• Members by-laws: The head of the institution; the Vice-Dean (or Deputy Director) in charge of research and the head of the ISV.
• Heads of the institution Departments.
• Six members, representing the major areas of scientific and technical competencies of the institution and designated by the head of the institution among managers of structures of research and doctoral studies, for a period of three years renewable once.
• Five experts of the socio-economic world.
The Steering Committee meetings are convened and chaired by the head of the institution who may delegate his attributions to the Vice-Dean (or Deputy Director) in charge of research.

Management Body of an ISV

The daily management of each ISV is carried out by a management body composed of the head of the ISV, a mission delegate and a secretariat (organization chart of an ISV)
Note: Projects of creation of the nursery and the Scientific Park will be developed in partnership with the socio-economic world.

Office: Contract Research, Service Delivery and Non Qualifying Continuous Training

This office is in charge of the following missions:
• to coordinate activities of the ISV in terms of contract research, service delivery and non qualifying continuous training;
• to establish a database of companies’ requirements in relation to these activities;
• to organize, in coordination with the ISV, prospecting campaigns to detect opportunities for related activities;
• to prepare, in coordination with the ISV, submissions of call of tenders linked to the activities of study, expertise, Research and Development (R&d) and continuing education;
• to establish, in coordination with the ISV, projects related to the concerned activities;
• to prepare and negotiate, in coordination with the office of legal affairs of the University, related contracts;
• to monitor the realization of the projects by the ISV;
• to supervise, in coordination with the Presidency offices concerned, the administrative and financial management of the projects performed by the ISV;
• to organize the annual day University-enterprises.

Office: Incubation, nursery, Scientific Park

This office carried out the following actions, in coordination with the ISV:

In terms of entrepreneurship:

• Implementation of the clause relating to the establishment of the Moukawalati project at theUM5A in the framework of the agreement concluded between UM5A and ANAPEC.
• Development of a program of training to the spirit of enterprise and entrepreneurship for the benefit of Masters, DESA and PhD students.
• Establishment of agreements of partnership with CJD, the FBPCE and other socio-economic operators likely to contribute to the achievement of the above-mentioned training program.
• Organization of the intended training program.
• Organization of entrepreneurship sensitization conferences.
• Launching of a call of projects for the creation of enterprises for the benefit of the students of the UM5A.
• Following up of projects holders of identified companies’ creation.

In terms of promotion of innovative companies’ creation:

• Contribution to the development of research activities likely to generate results that can lead to titles of intellectual property;
• Introduction of the UM5A scientific community to intellectual property;
• Development of expertise related to services linked to intellectual property- (aging research, protection systems, drafting of patents,...);
• Identification of projects of innovative enterprises creation based on exploitation of research results;
• Introduction to the methodology of innovative enterprises creation;
• Benefit from RMIE, international cooperation and any other opportunity to develop incubation activities in UM5A.

In terms of nursery enterprises and Science Park

As foreseen in the action plan of the UM5A for the 2006-2010 presidential term of office, a feasibility study for the creation of a Scientific Park in the UM5A was made in 2007.
The Scientific Park will enable a better interaction between the University and its socio-economic environment by developing an effective and sustainable partnership with large companies and SMEs in the areas of continuing education, R&d and expertise.
In addition to branches of confirmed enterprises, the Scientific Park will host centres of the university specialized in R&d, continuing education and services delivery, as it will host the incubator and the nursery, as well as some innovative companies.
The objectives of the feasibility study of Scientific Park creation at the UM5A are:
• The examination of opportunities for relocation of activities of R&d and innovation services worldwide. It is important to note that the UM5A had made the first operation in this area in Morocco by hosting, in 2001, in the premises of Mohammadia School of Engineers, the Design Centre of the company STMicroelectronics in Morocco, and a year after, it offered accommodation to R&d centre in Morocco of the same company. These two centres have been transferred in 2006 to the premises built by STMicroelectronics in Hay Riad for a capacity of 700 engineers and technicians employment in the areas of design and R&d. Other opportunity of relocation has been presented in other areas, but they could not be performed because of the lack of space dedicated to this purpose.
• Identify factors of attraction to these operations and the capacities of Morocco in this area, in General, and the UM5A, in particular.
• Financially evaluate the creation of the Scientific Park of the UM5A and suggest the financial plan for this creation. Preliminary contacts with the Fund investment Hassan II target its encouragement to contribute to the realization of this project: the UM5A providing to the project a land that will be arranged by the Fund Hassan II.
The Office "Incubation, nursery and Scientific Park" will also have to supervise the feasibility studies for the creation of some centers of Research and Development in partnership with the socio-economic world, as well as those related to the creation of a rapid prototyping Center.
After the completion of these various studies of feasibility, this Office will have to establish the partnerships needed to create these various structures, and then manage these partnerships on behalf of the University.

Office: Intellectual Property and Monitoring

The activities of research valorisation require good management of intellectual property to which realized research work can give rise. This intellectual property management is also based on techniques of technological monitoring and of economic intelligence. The Office of "Intellectual Property and Monitoring" work for the performance of tasks related to the management of the University intellectual property and the development of the use of techniques of technological and economic monitoring for the benefit of research and innovation activities carried out by the structures of research and innovation of the University:
• Promote the use of monitoring techniques in the choice of research themes likely to be subject to valorization;
• Help, with collaboration of the ISV, structures of research to use techniques of monitoring to manage their works of research so as to avoid overlap with the work of others;
• Provide Board of intellectual protection practices research to make choices that are appropriate to the opportunity of protection, the mode and when appropriate protection structures;
• Take the necessary administrative steps for application of patents deposit; besides registration and annuities fee payments.
• Prepare, negotiate and insure the follow-up, in coordination with the Office of Legal Affairs of the University, licensing agreements related to the transfer of technology;