Special Representative McAuliffe Supports African Innovation In Morocco

Special Representative for Global Partnerships Dorothy McAuliffe traveled to Casablanca and Marrakech, Morocco from June 1-2 to meet with African climate and business leaders.  The trip’s primary goal was to expand existing public-private partnerships and forge new ones.  Additionally, Special Representative McAuliffe was invited to participate in the inaugural GITEX Africa—the largest tech event ever held on the continent.

On June 1 in Casablanca, Special Representative McAuliffe visited the HSEVEN tech incubator, Casablanca Finance City, and TechnoPark Casablanca to discuss the potential for a Coalition for Climate Entrepreneurship (CCE) innovation hub and other private sector partnership opportunities.  She also convened climate entrepreneurs, activists, and academics from across Morocco at the Dar America Casablanca American Space for a roundtable discussion of climate initiatives and opportunities for collaboration.

Special Representative McAuliffe traveled to Marrakech on June 2 to participate in the GITEX Africa, a pan-African forum that showcases emerging technologies and innovation solutions to pressing global challenges.  At GITEX, Special Representative McAuliffe moderated a panel entitled “Investing in Resilience” alongside experts in venture capital and start-up incubation.  The panel discussed how global stakeholders can foster an equitable digital economy in Africa.  The Special Representative later served as a judge for the GITEX Supernova Challenge pitch competition.

At GITEX, she also met with the Moroccan Secretary General for Digital Transformation and Administrative Reform Sarah Lamrani and representatives from Cisco, IBM, and Oracle to discuss how the United States can continue to mobilize public-private partnerships to spur innovation.  Finally, Special Representative McAuliffe signed a Memorandum of Understanding with AfriLabs, a key incubator in the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Africa, making them an official partner of CCE.  The Morocco trip was a significant step in fulfilling the United States’ commitment to building 21st century U.S-Africa public-private partnerships.

For media inquiries and further information, please contact the Office of Global Partnerships at [email protected], visit the Office of Global Partnerships, or follow @GPatState  on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.  To stay updated on the Coalition for Climate Entrepreneurship visit:  https://www.state.gov/coalition-for-climate-entrepreneurship-cce/