The PSA group, a French multinational manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles sold under the Peugeot, Citroën, DS Automobiles, Opel and Vauxhall Motors brands, signed an agreement last week with several academic institutions in Morocco to launch OpenLab, a research center where sustainable mobility systems will be explored for four years, reports the Spanish news agency EFE. Open Lab's «Sustainable Mobility for Africa» program will be based on the scientific expertise belonging to PSA Peugeot Citroën and the DS brand, as well as to university partners thanks to the existing technology platforms in the Kingdom, the French manufacturer said in a press release published by EFE. The opening of the PSA center comes along with the signing of the agreement with five Moroccan universities : Mohammed V University, Rabat International University, Ibn Tofail in Kenitra, Cadi Ayyad in Marrakech and the Euro-Mediterranean University in Fez. At the international level, two US institutions in Morocco are part of the project, the Georgia Institute of Technology (GeorgiaTech) and the Mississippi State University. The Central School of Casablanca and the Lafayette Institute are also contributors to OpenLab. The research center for sustainable mobility will focus on «electric mobility of the future for the development of electric traction chains adapted to African markets, renewable energies to promote the deployment of ecological and economic energy chains, seek the best match between the supply chain needs of a production site and local constraints», Journal Auto reports. OpenLab is part of StelLab, an international PSA scientific network dedicated to automotive research to identify and develop new technologies and innovations of the sector.
