A Confirmatory Study of the Knowledge Economy in the Context of Moroccan Economic Growth: Analysis, Comparison and Solutions

Abstract

The knowledge economy drives growth. It increases overall productivity, affecting competitiveness, market share and, most importantly, economic growth. The objective of this research is to study the impact of the knowledge economy on economic growth in Morocco. It will also study and present the causes of the bottlenecks currently facing the Moroccan economy. Our starting point for this study is a literature review, which will constitute the anchor point of our project and will allow us to position ourselves in relation to these studies and to define the different concepts used in this research work. This part is necessary to present the contours of models of endogenous growth which constitutes an improvement of the first models developed by neoclassical theorists and will allow us to identify indicators and to present their impact on economic growth. The realisation of this study was based on neoclassical orthodoxy founded on a positivist approach employing hypothetical-deductive methods. From a methodological point of view, the approach employed will be a quantitative approach based on inferential statistics and particularly econometric studies of panel data. Our empirical findings indicate that the impact of human capital variable is not significant. Furthermore, the innovation variable shows a positive and insignificant impact on economic growth. In addition, information and communication technology has insignificant effect on Morocco’s economic growth. Finally, governance quality has a positive impact on economic growth. Our results explain the weak impact of the knowledge-based economy on Morocco's economic growth, and this weakness does not change regardless of the country's wealth level. This allows us to conclude that despite the multiple reforms and the enormous investment made by Morocco, they benefit little from the competitive advantage and the effects on growth that this economy make it possible to create.