Safran’s expansion in Morocco marks another step in the North African kingdom’s ambition to become a major global aerospace manufacturing centre. The French aerospace equipment group inaugurated a 5,700-square-metre extension to its electrical systems facility in Temara on October 13, 2026. The investment strengthens Morocco’s capacity to manufacture aircraft components and supports the development of a domestic industry that serves international aviation markets.
The expansion adds to Safran’s two-decade presence in Morocco. It also complements the company’s planned investment of more than €350 million in aircraft engine assembly, maintenance and repair facilities. Together, these projects offer Morocco opportunities to attract foreign investment, create skilled employment and increase the technological content of its exports.
The development comes as international aircraft manufacturers seek reliable suppliers to meet rising production requirements. Morocco wants to capture more of that demand by moving beyond basic components into sophisticated engineering, engine assembly and maintenance services.
Safran’s Temara Expansion Strengthens Production Capacity
The new extension brings the total area of Safran Electrical & Power’s Temara facility to 31,400 square metres. The plant employs more than 1,600 people and manufactures approximately 93,000 electrical harnesses annually for major aerospace programmes.
Electrical harnesses are interconnected networks of wires, connectors and protective components that transmit electrical power and signals throughout aircraft. They support flight controls, navigation equipment, cockpit instruments, lighting and other systems that require dependable electrical connections.
Their manufacture requires precision engineering, strict quality controls and extensive testing. Aircraft electrical systems must withstand vibration, temperature changes and demanding operating conditions. Production errors can affect aircraft safety and reliability.
Safran’s expanded facility will support civil and military aerospace programmes while increasing its capacity to design and manufacture electrical cables and associated equipment.
Serge Pons, Safran’s executive vice-president and general manager of Interconnection Systems Eurasia, described the expansion as evidence of the company’s long-term confidence in Morocco.
“This anniversary and this new extension demonstrate the confidence Safran has placed in Morocco and its talent for the past twenty years,” Pons said.
He added that the Temara facility had become “an essential part of our industrial network” and that the investment would help Safran accommodate business growth and prepare for future aerospace requirements.
The company expects the expansion to create 400 additional jobs. Its operational activity is also projected to approach two million production hours by 2026. These targets indicate that Morocco is becoming more deeply integrated into Safran’s international manufacturing network.
Morocco Moves Towards Higher-Value Aerospace Manufacturing
Safran’s latest investment builds on an aerospace industry that has developed through sustained investment, export-oriented manufacturing and partnerships with international aircraft producers.
According to Morocco’s official government portal, approximately 150 aerospace companies operated in the country in 2025. The sector generated annual revenue of €2.5 billion and supported about 26,000 full-time jobs.
The Casablanca-Settat Regional Investment Centre subsequently reported aerospace exports of 26.4 billion Moroccan dirhams in 2024. It also identified a local integration rate exceeding 40 percent, indicating that Moroccan companies already supply a substantial proportion of the inputs used by the domestic aerospace industry.
These figures establish a foundation for further expansion. However, the next stage requires Morocco to increase the value of the products manufactured locally rather than rely predominantly on labour-intensive component production.
The country’s aerospace industry has traditionally concentrated on electrical wiring, sheet metal, mechanical components, composites and aircraft structures. These activities provide essential industrial capabilities, but engine assembly and advanced maintenance can generate additional engineering work and supplier opportunities.
In October 2026, Reuters reported that Morocco’s aerospace exports could increase from approximately $3 billion to $5 billion annually within three years. Mohammed Bellatig, head of the country’s aerospace industry association, GIMAS, said the sector was seeking to expand local value creation through activities such as engine and landing gear assembly.
The forecast depends on new investment, production growth and the industry’s ability to develop more sophisticated capabilities.
The €350 Million Safran Project Could Change the Industry
The Temara expansion is part of a broader industrial programme that includes two major aircraft engine facilities in Nouaceur, near Casablanca.
Announced in October 2025, the programme involves more than €350 million in investment across new engine facilities and expansions at existing Safran sites.
The first major project is an engine maintenance and repair facility designed to service up to 150 engines annually. It represents an investment of approximately €120 million and is expected to create 600 jobs by 2030.
The second project is a LEAP-1A engine assembly facility with an investment of approximately €200 million. It is designed to assemble up to 350 engines annually and create 300 jobs. Operations were initially expected to begin by the end of 2027.
The LEAP-1A engine powers the Airbus A320neo family, one of the principal aircraft platforms used by airlines operating short- and medium-haul routes.
Engine assembly involves far more than fitting individual components together. It requires specialised tooling, engineering expertise, precision measurements and extensive testing. Maintenance and repair operations also require trained technicians who can inspect complex systems, identify faults and restore engines to approved operating standards.
The new facilities could therefore help Morocco develop capabilities that remain concentrated in a relatively small number of established aerospace manufacturing countries.
Morocco’s Ministry of Industry and Trade has described the engine complex as a route towards deeper integration into the global aircraft engine supply chain.
Safran chief executive Olivier Andriès also welcomed government support for the projects, stating that the new facilities would demonstrate the industrial capabilities of both Safran and Morocco.
The investment is particularly important because it could encourage additional suppliers to establish operations near the engine facilities. Local companies may find opportunities in precision machining, specialised materials, industrial maintenance, logistics and technical services.
Airbus Expansion Creates Opportunities Beyond Morocco
Safran is not the only aerospace manufacturer expanding its Moroccan operations.
Recent reporting by the Moroccan business publication Médias24 indicates that Airbus is preparing a third factory in the country. The proposed facility would cover approximately 6,900 square metres and form part of an industrial expansion intended to increase the group’s Moroccan footprint by about 30 percent.
Airbus is also considering a helicopter maintenance operation that could serve customers in Morocco and West Africa.
These plans remain subject to further announcements, so their final scope and implementation timetable require confirmation. Nevertheless, they indicate that Morocco’s established supplier network is attracting interest from manufacturers seeking additional production and maintenance capacity.
Airbus already operates two factories in Morocco, employs more than 1,300 people and works with approximately 100 local suppliers, according to the company’s Moroccan representative, Mickaël Bertrand.
Its existing industrial activities include cockpit components, fuselage structures, floor panels, wing elements and cabin fittings. Airbus Atlantic Maroc Composites also manufactures components for A320 cockpits and ATR aircraft, alongside premium cabin products.
The economic advantage lies in the connections between these facilities. When several international manufacturers operate within one country, suppliers can serve multiple customers, workers can develop transferable technical skills and training institutions can design programmes around established industrial requirements.
This creates the possibility of a self-reinforcing manufacturing ecosystem rather than a collection of isolated foreign-owned factories.
What the Investment Means for Africa
Morocco’s aerospace expansion offers lessons for other African economies seeking to diversify exports and create skilled industrial employment.
Aircraft manufacturing depends on specialised infrastructure, reliable electricity, efficient transport, technical education and consistent regulatory standards. Countries that establish these foundations can compete for parts of global supply chains even without manufacturing complete aircraft.
Morocco has pursued this opportunity through industrial zones, vocational training, investment incentives and partnerships with established aerospace companies.
The benefits extend beyond direct factory employment. A larger aerospace industry can create demand for engineering consultancies, component suppliers, transport operators, industrial software providers and specialised maintenance businesses.
Higher-value exports can also help diversify foreign-exchange earnings. For Morocco, this offers an opportunity to reduce reliance on traditional export sectors while building domestic expertise in advanced manufacturing.
Other North African economies could draw lessons from this approach by developing specialised industrial clusters and strengthening links between manufacturers, universities and technical colleges.
For sub-Saharan Africa, the opportunity may initially lie in supporting services, engineering training, component manufacturing and aircraft maintenance rather than attempting to reproduce Morocco’s entire industrial model.
Regional cooperation could eventually help African businesses participate in shared supply chains. However, that outcome would require stronger trade links, compatible technical standards and investment in skills and infrastructure.
The Main Challenge Is Building Local Value
Morocco’s aerospace ambitions face several constraints. Advanced manufacturing requires substantial capital, experienced engineers and dependable suppliers. Foreign manufacturers may continue importing specialised inputs if local companies cannot meet their technical requirements or delivery schedules.
Employment growth alone will not establish whether the strategy succeeds. The more important indicators will include productivity, domestic supplier participation, technology transfer and the proportion of export revenue retained within the Moroccan economy.
The government and industry must also ensure that training programmes produce workers with the skills required for increasingly complex manufacturing operations.
Access to reliable, competitively priced electricity will remain important as production expands. Safran has separately announced arrangements intended to secure renewable electricity for most of its Moroccan facilities, supporting its objective of reducing operational carbon emissions.
These measures could strengthen Morocco’s appeal as aerospace manufacturers face growing pressure to reduce the environmental impact of their operations.
Morocco’s Aerospace Strategy Offers a Wider African Opportunity
Safran’s Temara expansion is more than an additional manufacturing floor. It demonstrates how Morocco is using foreign investment to strengthen its industrial workforce, deepen technical capabilities and increase its participation in international aerospace production.
The proposed LEAP-1A assembly plant, the engine maintenance facility and Airbus’s potential expansion could further strengthen this position if the projects meet their production and employment targets.
For Africa, the central lesson is that advanced manufacturing requires sustained investment in skills, infrastructure and local suppliers. Attracting an international manufacturer can establish a foundation, but lasting economic gains depend on domestic companies acquiring the capabilities to supply increasingly sophisticated products and services.
Morocco has already established a substantial aerospace industry. Its next challenge is to capture more value from the aircraft built by global manufacturers and turn that industrial expertise into a durable source of exports, skilled jobs and technological development.
If the country succeeds, its aerospace strategy could offer a practical model for African economies seeking to move beyond raw materials and low-value production towards more technically demanding industries.
