The Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah University of Fès (USMBA) won the prestigious international German-African Innovation Incentive Award in Berlin on Thursday.
The concentrated photovoltaics project, led by the director of the Ecole Normale Supérieure (ENS), Ali Ahaitouf, was rewarded for its significant contribution to the development of Morocco, particularly through the opportunities it offers in the field of manufacturing, the university stated in a press release.
This project focuses on research into concentrated photovoltaic energy, a field where the USMBA team has distinguished itself through its long-standing expertise, reinforced by obtaining funding from the IRESEN Foundation for one of its research projects in this strategic field, the same source notes.
According to Mr. Ahaitouf, this technology would allow for the production of high electrical power densities with small multi-junction solar cells, thus using fewer materials, reports the MAP.
The trade-off is the use of optical elements capable of concentrating the sun onto a small surface, thereby increasing power density, it is explained.
According to the same source, the Moroccan team's project benefited from the maximum funding granted to a project, amounting to 150,000 euros.
It is one of six prizes awarded across the entire African continent, selected from 60 competing projects, the statement specifies, highlighting that this success is due to "the strong added value of the project for Morocco and its real potential for industrialisation".
The Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University of Fès represented Morocco at the German-African Innovation Award alongside five other countries, namely Ethiopia, Ghana, Namibia, Nigeria, and Uganda.
