Latest news with #DeepTechSummit
Morocco World
09-05-2025
- Business
- Morocco World
Africa Takes the Lead at UM6P Deep Tech Summit
The Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) in Benguerir wrapped up the second edition of the Deep Tech Summit (DTS) this week, gathering over 5,500 participants from 53 countries. Under the theme 'Redefining Progress: How AI is Transforming Deep Tech,' the two-day event brought together startups, investors, academics, and policymakers to explore how Africa can shape the future of science and industry. Spanning 66 sessions across key areas like AI, cybersecurity, biotech, agritech, and climate tech, the summit focused on Africa's growing role in tackling global challenges through science and innovation. The DTS Prize was the centrepiece. Tunisia's Cure Bionics won in Life Sciences, Morocco's Sand to Green took the Green Economy prize, and Kenya's Nyungu Afrika was named Most Promising African Startup. Each winner walked away with $50,000 and access to UM6P's research labs and investor network. Startups also pitched live to top investors in formats like Reverse Pitch and Pitch in the Dark. The Deepfake Challenge, run with INWI, tackled misinformation by bringing together researchers and students to build AI-powered solutions. Yassine Laghzioui, Director of Entrepreneurship at UM6P, said the event proved that real impact happens when science meets markets, industry, and long-term investment. Key partnerships with Attijariwafa Bank, Africorp Consortium, and H&S were announced to boost tech R&D, startup acceleration, and talent development across Africa. Yassine Laghzioui, CEO of UM6P Ventures, said the event proved that real impact happens when science meets markets, industry, and long-term investment.
Morocco World
09-05-2025
- Business
- Morocco World
Africa Takes the Lead at Deep Tech Summit at UM6P
The Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) in Benguerir wrapped up the second edition of the Deep Tech Summit (DTS) this week, gathering over 5,500 participants from 53 countries. Under the theme 'Redefining Progress: How AI is Transforming Deep Tech,' the two-day event brought together startups, investors, academics, and policymakers to explore how Africa can shape the future of science and industry. Spanning 66 sessions across key areas like AI, cybersecurity, biotech, agritech, and climate tech, the summit focused on Africa's growing role in tackling global challenges through science and innovation. The DTS Prize was the centrepiece. Tunisia's Cure Bionics won in Life Sciences, Morocco's Sand to Green took the Green Economy prize, and Kenya's Nyungu Afrika was named Most Promising African Startup. Each winner walked away with $50,000 and access to UM6P's research labs and investor network. Startups also pitched live to top investors in formats like Reverse Pitch and Pitch in the Dark. The Deepfake Challenge, run with INWI, tackled misinformation by bringing together researchers and students to build AI-powered solutions. Yassine Laghzioui, Director of Entrepreneurship at UM6P, said the event proved that real impact happens when science meets markets, industry, and long-term investment. Key partnerships with Attijariwafa Bank, Africorp Consortium, and H&S were announced to boost tech R&D, startup acceleration, and talent development across Africa. Yassine Laghzioui, Director of Entrepreneurship at UM6P, said the event proved that real impact happens when science meets markets, industry, and long-term investment.
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Business Standard
09-05-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
AI's potential depends on ethical governance, equitable access: Expert
At a UM6P-hosted summit, academics and business leaders discussed how AI is reshaping scientific, industrial, and entrepreneurial innovation through foundational and transformative roles AI's potential will be fully realised only if its governance is ethical, access equitable, and impact globally and equally distributed, an education expert said at the Deep Tech Summit here in Morocco. At the summit, hosted by the University Mohammed VI Polytechnic (UM6P) here, academics and business experts brainstormed and explored the foundational role of artificial intelligence (AI) in reshaping scientific, entrepreneurial and industrial innovation. Hicham El Habti, president of UM6P, said AI is rewriting playbooks of the industry, but its complete potential can be realised only if its governance is ethical. "AI today is a general-purpose technology that demands general-purpose responsibility. It is rewriting the playbooks of industry, reshaping value chains, and reimagining public goods. And yet, its potential will only be fully realised if we ensure that its governance is ethical, its access is equitable, and its impact is globally and equally distributed. "The debate today is less about how fast we go and more about where we are headed. It challenges us to look past the hype and ask deeper questions. Not just how fast we can move, but where, why, and for whom," Habti said. The two-day summit saw about 7000 participants from over 30 countries and 980 startups. Jalal Charaf, Chief Digital Officer at UM6P said AI is something that we all struggle to know what to do with. "It is very difficult because it's a new technology, and a lot of people even liken it to fire or electricity, because it is a general purpose technology.. it is like a drug. We don't know the dosage, we don't know the side effects, we don't know exactly what to do with it. So we are in this period of, I would say, fermentation, where we're trying to figure out what to do with it. "I think the best way to build an ecosystem is to make the maximum people aware of it and try it. We have to. We are responsible of making people test it and see what they can do with it," Charaf said. An understanding of AI technology would need to be embedded within education systems, stressed Stavaros N Yiannouka, CEO of World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE), a global think tank of the Qatar Foundation, who added that dealing with AI is like interacting with a new form of intelligence. "We are really trying to connect the dots between policy research and innovation in education. Whatever we do with AI, however we harness its its potential, it has to be with an aim in mind. So, the most asked question today is what can AI do for education, and how do we harness its potential? "I think there are opportunities to personalise learning, to significantly enhance access through AI agents that can act as tutors, teaching assistants, research assistants or even co-principal investigators at some point," he said. The CEO supported that we are dealing with a new intelligence and a potentially new consciousness. "Who knows where this is going to go? We need to start thinking about how we are going to be interacting with that, with that new intelligence. We also need to think about the broader community and embed within our education system, an understanding of this technology and how we interact with it. This will help us avoid the mistakes we made with social media," he said. Steve Ciensinki, founder of Vencrest Partners, a private venture capital and advisory firm, and professor at Stanford University, US, said the advent of AI is obviously a game breaker for all of us as human beings. "Stanford has set up an institute across the university called Human-Centered AI, and the idea is to have AI work for humans, as opposed to the other way around," Ciensinki said. "This is those who have the clever agility to figure out how these markets will be changing, the courage to move forward, the resilience that startup companies need to have are going to do to really do well in this industry, in this whole area," he added. Being a new technology, AI is not yet proven, which is where science is needed, Ciensinki said. "So, instead of just having two elements -- engineering and commercialisation -- you have the third element, which is the science behind it. That's the third group that needs to be brought in, and that is hugely risky for any kind of customer or individual to use when (the technology) is all new and has never really been even invented yet. "It is going to take more people, specialised workforce and scientists. It is also going to take more capital, more equipment, and a lot more patience by investors. These venture capital funds that are going to be formed now for deep tech are going to be longer than 10 years, before we can start to see some of these technologies really take hold but undoubtedly the opportunities are immense," he said.
Morocco World
08-05-2025
- Business
- Morocco World
AI and Africa's Big Leap: Deep Tech Summit Kicks Off in Morocco
The Deep Tech Summit kicked off today at the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) in Benguerir, with a bold ambition: to show how artificial intelligence is shaping deep tech, and why Africa shouldn't just follow the trend, but lead it. Over two days, the summit hopes to bring together founders, investors, academics and policymakers from over 50 countries. With over a thousand startups in attendance, this year's second edition focuses on how AI is accelerating breakthroughs in everything from ailment diagnosis, drug discovery, and green energy. 'This summit was never meant to be just another conference,' said Hicham El Habti, President of UM6P. 'It's a statement – a call to push boundaries, rethink progress, and include everyone in that journey.' Hicham El Habti calls to push boundaries, rethink progress, and include everyone in that journey. El Habti pointed during his opening speech to Africa's young minds, noting that over half of the continent's population is under 24. 'That's our greatest asset,' he said. 'We must give this generation the tools and space to imagine, create and lead.' The program includes more than 60 sessions, ranging from cybersecurity to the green economy, as well as reverse pitches — where investors must convince startups — and experimental formats aimed at sparking real-world solutions. Yassine Laghzioui, CEO of UM6P Ventures, pointed to the speed at which AI is now reshaping the deep tech ecosystem. 'In the past, breakthrough technologies took decades. Today, we're talking about months,' he said. 'AI is compressing the journey from theory to market.' Yassine Laghzioui pointed to the speed at which AI is now reshaping the deep tech ecosystem He cited DeepMind's AlphaFold as a prime example. 'It cracked the protein folding problem. That alone is changing the game in drug discovery.' For Laghzioui, the moment is ripe. 'Africa sees it. Morocco sees it. We have the talent, the ambition, and now the opportunity that AI presents.' Also attending the summit is Steve Ciesinski, a professor at Stanford Graduate School of Business and former president of SRI International. 'When I first heard about the Deep Tech Summit, I wasn't quite sure what to expect,' he admitted. 'But I've been genuinely impressed. The talent, the energy, the calibre of discussions — it's remarkable.' Steve Ciesinski says AI now features in nearly a third of his students' projects Ciesinski says AI now features in nearly a third of his students' projects. 'The idea is not to replace humans, but to enhance them. AI should work for people, not the other way around.' He added that deep tech isn't for the faint-hearted. 'It comes with higher risk and longer timelines. But for those who make it through, the rewards are massive, both financially and socially.' Deep Tech Summit runs May 8–9, with AI stealing the show. From healthcare and agritech to clean energy, the goal's simple: leapfrog Africa's development with big, bold, and brainy solutions.
Morocco World
07-05-2025
- Business
- Morocco World
UM6P Turns Heads With Deep Tech Summit
The Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) kicked off the Deep Tech Summit (DTS) with the bold intent to position Africa at the forefront of global scientific innovation, entrepreneurship, and digital sovereignty. This year's summit focuses on how artificial intelligence is reshaping deep tech. 'This is not a tech show,' said Yassine Laghzioui, UM6P's Director of Entrepreneurship and Venturing, as he opened the DTS. 'We're bringing together founders, researchers, and investors to tackle real problems in real time.' The summit gathers over 7,000 participants – over half of them coming from different parts of the world – to attend more than 60 sessions over two days, all set on UM6P's fast-growing green campus. The event includes panel discussions, experimental showrooms, deeptech factories and sittings for one-off reverse pitches, pitches in the dark, and elevator pitches. 'Why should the entrepreneur always be the one begging? We flipped it. Now the VCs must convince them,' he added, describing one of the summit's standout formats – the reverse pitch – where investors pitch to startups, not the other way around. Yassine Laghzioui says that this summit brings together founders, researchers, and investors to tackle real problems in real time Founded by the OCP Foundation and part of the phosphate giant OCP Group, UM6P has grown into one of Africa's most ambitious research universities. At the press conference, Amina Lahbabi, the university's Director of Communication and Public Relations, explained why. 'We're a Moroccan and African university, built for Africa, by Africans,' she said. 'We started by supporting OCP's R&D, but today we're working on solutions for the whole continent — in agriculture, AI, biotechnology, renewable energy, and more.' The university's Benguerir campus, spread over 80 hectares, was built with one goal: to create a city of knowledge. It includes 'living labs' where students and researchers test ideas in real-world conditions — from experimental mining to green hydrogen production. UM6P also houses Africa's most powerful supercomputer, helping researchers tackle big problems in data science and climate tech. Lahbabi pointed to the university's rapid growth with 7,200 students across multiple campuses, with 61% coming from African countries. More than 80% are on scholarships, and 60% have full funding. 'Excellence and meritocracy matter here. Financial status should never be a barrier,' she said. Amina Lahbabi says that excellence and meritocracy matter at UM6P UM6P has also gone global, with new hubs in Paris, Montréal, and soon to be one in Côte d'Ivoire and Mexico. 'We're building bridges between Africa and the world,' Lahbabi said. 'And we're showing that Morocco can be a hub for research, innovation, and soft power.' The university's community work is just as important. In Rhamna, where the main campus sits, UM6P is running more than 20 local development projects from culture and sport to health and education. They've even partnered with the NBA's junior program to launch Africa's first basketball school. This year's Deep Tech Summit wants to turn Benguerir into Africa's deep tech capital and prove that world-class science and startups don't just belong in Silicon Valley or Europe — they belong in Morocco and in Africa too.
