Morrocco. A right momentum for us to be there

Geographically, because the European and African landmasses are separated by only twelve kilometres.

Economically. It is a developed country with a really strong and traditional tourism industry and extraordinary natural wealth.

Politically, because in many ways it has a piece of stable political culture and predictability in key decisions and the long-term strategic direction of the country.

Electronically. Moroccans are fans of hi-tech and new gadgets. In doing so, however, they adhere to French electricity standards.

And thanks to the World Cup it is hosting with Spain and Portugal in 2030, right now the country is ready to invest huge resources in the development of hotels, highways, railways, stadiums, urban districts.

We too have been working with our Moroccan partners for many years – particularly in the field of time and monitoring relays, of which we supply thousands to the local market. But at the same time, we realise that it shouldn’t stop there.

Our branch in Casablanca? Very probably!

After a meaningful (it sounds obvious, but in reality it rarely happens) December trip of our team as part of the CzechTrade Morocco expedition, things moved faster than I could have imagined.

We entered into negotiations with leading local developers and specific distributors who play first fiddle in the local market. And we are targeting the B2B segment in particular.

We are talking to construction companies and developers who are working on new residential and commercial projects. Or with industrial companies looking for ways to optimize their production. But also with renewable energy service providers.

Things are starting to look promising. Which I can always tell the moment it starts to translate from desks and papers to numbers and orders within the system. If we were to continue the trend, we would probably choose the path we have well trodden from the Middle East.
Huge development and smart tech-optimism. That is Morrocco these days.

Strong partner and strengthened internal team

Thus, a strong alliance with a local partner and distributor and support in the form of our own office in Morocco. Probably in Casablanca, which lies halfway between the capital Rabat and the traditional Marrakech, but also halfway along the Mediterranean coast between the Strait of Gibraltar and the popular beach destination of Agadir. So that we are able to cover the full breadth of the portfolio on offer, which at ELKO EP is traditionally divided between hotels, offices and villa residences.

These are all challenges for Jan Kapitanov, who has been in charge of business development for us for years. But now also for Karim Abbassi. A seasoned manager who has worked for years for telecommunications services leader 2N, for example, and has been opening markets throughout the northern half of Africa for years. And unusually, I also trust the CzechTrade office, which does not live here by nature, but senses an extraordinary opportunity to show itself to the whole region in the crucial six years that separate Morocco from the World Cup and the incredible level of attention the country will receive.

Whether the Czech Republic will be there is still up in the air. But the Czech ELKO EP team has already played the qualification round and after the first business duels is doing very well.