The Visibility

of the Tunisian

National Innovation System (NIS)

Jelel Ezzine

DG of International Cooperation

Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research

The (in)Visibility

of the Tunisian

National Innovation System (NIS)

Jelel Ezzine

DG of International Cooperation

Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research

Visibility?

Why is it so?

4PASRI-12 Oct. 2001

… does it make sense!?

5PASRI-12 Oct. 2001

… Visibility!

University Government Industry

Cal Tech (1) NSF Apple

KAIST (94) KISTI Samsung

Univ. of Helsinki

(91)TEKES Nokia

“Systemic” approach to understanding

Innovation’s impact on development

PASRI-12 Oct. 2001

Back to Tunisia

PASRI-12 Oct. 2001 8

International Cooperation

(Key partners)

PASRI-12 Oct. 2001 9

� Bilateral funding projects (CMCU, CNRS, INRIA, INSERM, Spain, Portugal, Italy,

Greece, India, Morocco, Algeria, Egypt, Jordan)

� Large bilateral research projects

2009/2010 N° of Projects Tunisian funding

(KDT)

Foreign funding

(KDT)

Bilateral calls 744 2216 7531

Other bilateral projects 15 30 16534

International bilateral R&D cooperation

(EU, MENA)

� Steady participation increase in EU FPX

FP4 FP5 FP6 FP7 (2010)

N° of Projects 34 45 99 71

Funding (Million Euro) 2.75 5.03 12.3 7.5

Other bilateral projects 15 30 16534

International org 9 - 925

Total 768 2246 24990

10PASRI-12 Oct. 2001

Network of collaboration in Africa

PASRI-12 Oct. 2001 11

Tunisia

a top African performer (1:2)

PASRI-12 Oct. 2001 12

Tunisia

a top African performer (2:2)

PASRI-12 Oct. 2001 13

� 5 831 SMEs having 10 or more employees, of which 2 800 are totally

exporting ones,

� 1,975 SMEs with foreign participation,

� 1,221 are 100% foreign owned,

A Glimps to Tunisia’s Industry

(key data)

� 1,221 are 100% foreign owned,

� 1,679 are totally exporting SMEs

Exports (millions of dinars)

Fiest 5 mths 2010 First 5 mths 2011 % Increase

Total 7,590.6 8,653.9 14.0

14PASRI-12 Oct. 2001

International companies in Tunisia

� ALCATEL – LUCENT

� CISCO

� MICROSOFT

A Glimps to Tunisia’s Industry

(International firms)

� MICROSOFT

� LEONI

� PHILIPS

� SAGEM

� SIEMENS

� …

15PASRI-12 Oct. 2001

… « counterintuitives »!

• … the results show the positive impact of R&D activities, human capital quality, past experience in innovation and public subsidies on probability of firms to innovate; whereas, ownership structure has a negative impact. Innovation and R&D Investment of Tunisian Firms: A Two-Regime a negative impact. Innovation and R&D Investment of Tunisian Firms: A Two-Regime

Model with Selectivity Correction, MOHAMED KRIAA and ZOUHOUR KARRAY, The Journal of Business Inquiry 2010,

• They also suggest that firms with high export intensity and significant foreign capital participation are found to be less innovating than partially exporting firms with low foreign capital share. Innovation

in Tunisia, Empirical Analysis for Industrial Sector, Moez El Elj, Décembre 2010.

PASRI-12 Oct. 2001 16

“A number of countries are challenging the traditional scientific superpowers,”

Among smaller countries, the Royal Society report singles out Tunisia,

where R&D spending rose from 0.03 per cent of GDP in 1996 to 1.25 per cent in 2009. Its priority is life sciences and medicine – with an official aim to increase pharmaceutical exports five-fold within five years.

Although the study does not cover the impact of the recent overthrow of Arab autocrats, such as Zein al-Abidine Ben Ali of Tunisia, Sir Chris said: “I would expect it to have a good influence on science.”

PASRI-12 Oct. 2001 17

“A number of countries are challenging the traditional scientific superpowers,”

said Sir Chris Llewellyn Smith of Oxford university, who chaired the study team.

• R&D Internationalisation yields net global benefits:

– Better conditions for excellent research

– Avoids fragmentation, duplication

– Generates more public and private R&D funding

– Increases access to new markets

– Helps engaging in solving global problems

Enhancing Tunisia’s

international visibility

– Helps engaging in solving global problems

– improves human ressources (attrating foreign knowledge workersand avoiding local brain drain)

– Increases the quality and absorption capacity of domestic S&T through international cooperation

The internationalisation of business R&D: evidence, impact and implications (OECD 2006)

Need proactive impact-driven

International Cooperation! 18PASRI-12 Oct. 2001

Cooperation Cube Concept (C3)

I. Training and capacity building:

� University to university cooperation,

� Mobility, especially for young researchers in PhD postdoctoral levels,

� Joint PhD supervision schemes and dual degrees programs.

II. Research and Development:

� International research projects /research grants,

� Increased Tunisian research community participation in international funding

schemes,schemes,

� International scientific events organisation and participation.

III. Higher Education, Science and Innovation policy and management:

� Best practices in the areas of university management, universities’ autonomy,

quality and accreditation of academic and research institutions, linkages

between universities and research centres,

� Improving adequacy between academic offer and labour market needs,

� Identifying new and emerging S&T niches of interest to Tunisia, improving

linkages between SMEs, large firms and research centres, identifying

measures to encourage transfer of technology through procurement policies

and other incentives.

Cooperation Cube Concept (C3)

Cooperation Area R&DCapacity BuildingSTI Policy and Management

Partner InstitutionUniversities/

Research Centres

Research Centres/

Agencies

Agencies/

Governments

Time Frame ST-MT MT MT-LT

Finnish NIS

v.s.

PASRI-12 Oct. 2001 21

Tunisian NIS

v.s.

22PASRI-12 Oct. 2001