Innovation Spaces - Tunisia
In 1999 Tunisia launched a national programme to establish business incubators within Higher Education Institutions supported by Ministry of Higher Education and Ministry of Industry. The first incubator commenced operations in 2011. There is now a network of 26 incubators across the country located in Higher Institutes of Technological Studies (ISET), engineering schools, research centres and science parks.
Tunisia has also established a Centre for Innovation and Technological Development (CITD) as a support structure within the Agency for Promotion of Industry and Innovation. Its mission is to assist companies in their innovation efforts by providing relevant advice, high value services and assists them to identify technological innovation requirements.
Tunisia is a member of the Enterprise Europe Network since 2010.
Innovation Spaces in Tunisia are relatively recent and include WIKI Start Up , Reseau Entreprendre Tunis , Microsoft Innovation Center, Stanford Peace Innovation Lab , Elfabrika , Fablab ENIT , Tunis Fablab , Fablab Solidarity Youth Science Tunisia , IntilaQ , Flat6Labs Tunis, B@Labs , Cogite , Factory 619 and COStart.
Some profiles are shared below.
Established in 2011 in Tunis, the WIKI Start Up Business Incubator focusing on helping entrepreneurs get from proof of concept to implementation through the provision of technical assistance, tailored coaching and other resources. Services offered at different stages include Venture Catalyst Services, Venture Fundraising Services and Business Development Services. WIKI Start Up and Carthage Business Angels organised a series of Innovation Workshops in 2013 and WIKI Start Up runs an annual UNIVENTURE competition for potential research spinoffs.
Established in 2012, Reseau Entreprendre Tunis (and Monastir) is part of Reseau Entreprendre International, an association of local business owners and entrepreneurs. Mentoring is available from experienced entrepreneurs, as well as monthly group training to build capacity and networks.
Microsoft Innovation Center (MIC) is partnership between the Tunisian Government and Microsoft aimed to support the development of the software industry in Tunisia, stimulating innovation and entrepreneurship by developing intellectual capital and strengthening industrial partnership. The center aims to strengthen the competitiveness of enterprises in information technology by providing access to the latest technology.
The Fablab Solidarity Youth Science Tunisia was launched by Orange-Tunisia and the Association of Young Science. It is a digital fabrication shop. It is equipped with several 3D printers, laser cutting, vinyl cutting, a digital milling machine, a 3D scanner, open source software design to assist ideas to be transformed into prototypes. It supports innovation and provides the tools to entrepreneurs, researchers, designers, students, students, artists and young people without qualifications and / or unemployed.
There were also other FabLabs established in recent years including FabLab ENIT and Tunis FabLab Tunisia.
Launched in April 2014, IntilaQ is an initiative of Microsoft, Qatar Friendship Fund (QFF) and Ooredoo. It consists in an Innovation and Business Hub that aims to provide the best business creation environment in Tunisia, by being the leader in innovation in the field of ICT, and the destination of choice for researchers, jobs and young entrepreneurs. Since its creation IntilaQ has helped to boost the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Tunisia by supporting more than forty startups and innovative projects. With a total fund of 28 million dinars, nearly 90% of which is intended to finance startups (up to 500 000 TD), IntilaQ aims to offer a reliable support for Tunisian innovators and entrepreneurs.
Launched in 2016, Flat6Labs Tunis is a program for startups that aims at promoting and growth of Tunisian startups. It seeks to provide a source of supply to the Venture Capital industry in Tunisia. In four months, and through its extensive network and its many partnerships, Flat6Labs Tunis will offer Tunisian entrepreneurs financing, a mentoring program, a common workspace, and many other advantages and privileges. In short, a comprehensive entrepreneurial initiation program and numerous preparation workshops, with the aim of finishing startups by external investors to the program.
B@Labs is an initiative launched by BIAT in 2017 that offers an incubation program of 4 to 16 months for innovative startups. This program offers entrepreneurs a work-space, a complete curriculum and specialized workshops, mentoring and individual support, business and administrative services, access to the BIAT network and a potential funding enabling them to explore and realize the full potential of their startups.
Launched in 2016, Cogite is a hub for impact-driven, entrepreneurial individuals and organizations that would like to actively contribute to sustainable development in Tunisia. It's a vibrant space for collaboration and knowledge sharing. It is a place with a true sense of community where exciting projects and initiatives are created. With high speed Internet, meeting rooms, white boards, projection equipment, a large event space, a beautiful garden and even a swimming pool, Cogite provides everything an entrepreneur needs to get work done. It also hosts a wide variety of events, workshops, trainings, and networking opportunities.
Launched in 2017, Factory 619 is a Startup studio that creates cost-effective and low-risk ventures. It provides state-of-the-art technical support and expertise for start-ups with limited budgets so that they can deploy their products or services on the market. To do so, Factory 619 builds on the expertise of its multidisciplinary team, which was set up over two years following work on joint R&D projects. Developers and experts in Growth Hacking provide an understanding of the market and effective growth strategies that take into account the specificities of the products to be deployed. In addition to the technical and strategic support, this studio offers a wide range of services to large companies to support them in their disruptive approaches to innovation. Moreover, It provides a 700 square meters large co-working space dedicated to freelancers, nomad workers and startups.
In July 2018, the Technopark of Sfax launched a new incubator in partnership with the University of Sfax, UTICA, CONECT, UPMI, CJD, Chamber of Commerce, Djagora Academy as well as the business center. The main objective of this incubator called "COStart " is to boost the creation of start-ups in the field of ICT. COStart is also a "coworking space" (working space in common) of 700m² of which 300m² will be dedicated to an incubator that will host 30 entrepreneurs per cycle (6 month program). This incubator aims to enable companies to focus their efforts on the technological development of their products, the organization of training programs and marketing support for developed products, the transfer of technologies generated to universities and research centers, the development of businesses, and the creation of jobs and the commercialization of technology.
