The Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) inaugurated on Wednesday its new UM6P CoreLabs in Benguerir, a multidisciplinary scientific platform designed to transform research, innovation and advanced training across Africa. The university describes the initiative as «a major step toward strengthening scientific sovereignty, local value creation, and Africa's integration into global knowledge networks». Developed in response to long-standing structural barriers faced by African researchers, particularly dependence on foreign labs, limited access to advanced tools, long delays, and loss of control over data, CoreLabs aims to offer an integrated environment where «observation, experimentation, analysis and validation can be conducted locally, according to international standards». The new infrastructure is built around three high-level platforms: Imaging & Characterization, Biosciences, and Analytical Chemistry, reads a press release by UM6P. The Imaging and Characterization CoreLab houses some of the continent's rarest instruments, including a Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) and a Focused Ion Beam (FIB), enabling nanometric-scale analysis of materials. These capabilities are expected to open new avenues in advanced materials, clean energy, precision agriculture and health research. The Biosciences CoreLab equips researchers with high-throughput genome sequencing technologies and 3D cellular imaging. According to UM6P, these tools make it possible to decode complex biological systems, from individual cells to entire genomes, and to develop innovations in precision medicine, food security and genomics. The university stresses that the platform reinforces Africa's «scientific sovereignty and control over sensitive biological data». The Analytical Chemistry CoreLab provides state-of-the-art systems to detect and analyze pollutants, trace metals and emerging substances in water, air, soil and food. The goal, UM6P notes, is to turn complex datasets into actionable insights for researchers, industries and policymakers working on natural-resource management and sustainable development. Conceived as a continental reference hub, the platform is open to partnerships with African universities, research centers and industrial actors, supporting the transformation of scientific output into «practical solutions aligned with regional priorities».
