Morocco Records a Surge in Business Startups and Industrial Property during the First Five Months of 2025
Follow-Up
Entrepreneurship and industrial property continue to show notable dynamics in Morocco. Recent data from the Moroccan Office of Industrial and Commercial Property reveals significant growth in the establishment of businesses and the filing of intellectual property titles during the first five months of 2025.
Between January and May 2025, 48,873 new businesses were established, marking a 19% increase compared to the same period last year. This growth was driven by a 17% rise in the formation of legal entities (34,630 businesses) and a 24% increase in individual businesses (14,243 businesses).
The Casablanca-Settat region accounted for the largest share of new legal entities (39.4%), followed by the Rabat-Salé-Kenitra region (13.9%) and the Marrakech-Safi region (12.8%). For individual businesses, the Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region led with 19%, followed by the Eastern region (12.2%) and Casablanca-Settat (11%). The Dakhla-Oued Ed Dahab region recorded an exceptional increase of 506%.
This momentum was also reflected in negative certificates for trade names, which totaled 63,355 during the same period, an 11% rise from 2024, with Casablanca-Settat retaining the top position at 37.1%.
In terms of trademarks, the office recorded 13,611 registration and renewal applications, predominantly from the major economic region (54%), followed by Rabat-Salé-Kenitra (11%) and Marrakech-Safi (7.8%). Cosmetics and cleaning products topped the list of categories with the most requests (20%), followed by distribution and advertising (15%) and pharmaceutical products (14%).
Regarding patents, there were 1,179 applications filed, of which 154 were Moroccan, reflecting a 32% increase from the previous year. Universities emerged as the leading national filers, accounting for 68% of applications, followed by companies and individual inventors (14% each). Innovations were concentrated in the fields of pharmaceuticals (33%), biotechnology (15%), and fine organic chemistry (13%).
Conversely, industrial designs and models experienced a slight decline of 6%, stabilizing at 2,722 filings, with 85% coming from within Morocco. Casablanca-Settat dominated with over 70% of the applications. Packaging and transport models topped the represented sectors at 46%.
