The Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication, the Caisse de Dépôt et de Gestion (CDG) and its investment arm CDG-Invest signed a strategic partnership agreement on Thursday in Rabat to launch «Gamification Lab», a new program designed to promote Moroccan talent and strengthen the country's presence in the growing video-game industry. This initiative aims to establish a national platform dedicated to the promotion, development and acquisition of gamification solutions created by Moroccan start-ups. These solutions will serve public and private institutions operating in essential sectors such as education, health, culture, employment and tourism. By integrating game-based mechanisms into these fields, the program seeks to foster innovation and enhance user engagement. Beyond technological development, «Gamification Lab» also has broader economic ambitions. The program aims to generate qualified and sustainable jobs, support the emergence of competitive Moroccan start-ups, and encourage wider adoption of gamification techniques as effective tools within an inclusive and creative digital economy. Speaking to MAP, Minister Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid emphasized that the agreement forms part of efforts to support small businesses active in cultural industries, particularly the video-game sector. «We are witnessing significant progress in this field, which will allow small companies to grow into medium and large enterprises», he said, noting that Morocco now has around 40 gaming start-ups, compared to only two or three in 2021. Nissrine Souissi, Director of Gaming Industry Development and Information Systems at the ministry, highlighted that the agreement will help start-ups design solutions integrating gaming techniques across multiple vital sectors. She explained that the Gamification Lab will act as an experimentation hub, enabling companies to test, refine and commercialize their products with public and private stakeholders. The rollout of the program will involve identifying the needs of institutional actors, signing tailored agreements with beneficiaries and launching calls for expressions of interest to select and support Moroccan start-ups. The overarching objective is to provide lasting support to national talent and to strengthen the competitiveness of Morocco's digital and gaming ecosystem.
