FRDISI Foundation Drives Innovative Training for the Jobs of Tomorrow – Azoulay

André Azoulay, Adviser to HM the King and president of the Foundation for Research, Development and Innovation in Science and Engineering (FRDISI), highlighted on Friday the foundation’s commitment to combining entrepreneurship, academic innovation and training for future-oriented careers.

The Foundation’s training ecosystem now has more than 2,500 students in Mohammedia and Essaouira, Azoulay said during a meeting of the Foundation’s Board of Directors and General Assembly. He noted that the figure was reached within three years, with nearly all students receiving scholarships.

Azoulay said the Foundation’s strategy is built around two main pillars: entrepreneurship, with a particular focus on supporting young entrepreneurs, and an academic and technological pillar that is rapidly expanding.

The approach, he explained, is both “operational, academic and scientific,” moving beyond some traditional methods to explore new approaches to education and training, with the support of various government departments and relevant partners.

He particularly highlighted programs dedicated to healthcare professions, saying they could help provide a structural response to the shortage of human resources in the sector. 

Initial feedback, particularly from students’ hospital internships, has reinforced the relevance of what he described as a pioneering approach.

The Foundation also aims to explore the most sophisticated paths in academia, both in emerging technologies and in healthcare and medical disciplines, he said.

Azoulay said he was “very happy” to lead a Foundation that, in his view, embodies “a country that succeeds, creates and innovates,” adding that the path being charted holds very promising prospects.

The approach, he concluded, will help provide quantitative, structural and qualitative responses to the Kingdom’s needs by making innovation and boldness drivers of education and development.

Key milestones included the launch of the International Blue University (UIB) and the first edition of “Digital Transformation and Interoperability in Healthcare” in 2025, followed in 2026 by the launch of the Faculty of Health Professions and SUPTECH Computer Science.

According to figures presented at the meeting, the Foundation’s training portfolio now comprises 56 accredited programs. These include 25 at SUPTECH Santé Mohammedia, launched in 2023, and seven at SUPTECH Santé Essaouira, established in 2024.

The portfolio also includes 13 programs at SUPTECH Environnement, launched in 2024; eight at SUPTECH Computer Science, launched in 2026; and three at SUPTECH Health Professions, also launched this year.

In research, development and innovation, the Foundation has mobilized 78 researchers around 34 R&D projects and has more than 88 partners. 

Its teaching and training system also includes 62 teacher-researchers, 70 engineers and 30 experts, while its startup creation and project incubation activities involve 160 experts and 187 employees.

Entrepreneurship is another major pillar of the Foundation’s work. Its 2025 results included 17,789 people reached, 5,480 projects submitted and 679 companies created.