Bombardier Aerospace has signed an agreement with the Moroccan Government to invest $200m to build an aircraft component manufacturing plant in the country.

The new facility is expected to be built in phases starting in 2012 and begin operation in 2013.

It is initially expected to produce sub-assemblies for simple structures, with details of the type of components to be manufactured to be decided in the coming months.

The Moroccan facility will employ about 850 skilled and trained workers by the end of 2020.

Bombardier Aerospace president and CEO Guy C. Hachey said: "By establishing its own fully integrated manufacturing facility in Morocco, Bombardier Aerospace will serve as a catalyst for the aerospace industry in the country and will look for opportunities to share some of its knowledge and complex manufacturing processes."