IP and Development: Tunisia - Developing a Knowledge Economy

• Author: Sylvie Castonguay
• Position: WIPO Magazine Editorial Staff, Communications and Public Outreach Division

Oil is a dwindling resource in Tunisia. Production from the country's two main fields is declining and, though ongoing exploration has yielded small fields, supplies are expected to last only about a decade at the current rate of production. To offset the blow to the economy when the wells dry, and to increase the competitiveness of its other industries, the Tunisian government's Development Plans X (2002-2006) and XI (2007-2011) are geared toward building a knowledge-based economy. The government believes that Tunisia's cultural and geographical proximity to Europe gives it certain advantages over Asian countries, which will attract investors once necessary structures are put in place.

Plans X and XI focus on policy reform in education, stimulating research and development through the creation of technology poles, increasing access to the Internet and strengthening the country's intellectual property (IP) system.

Tunisia has a long IP history: It was one of the first countries to sign the Bern and Paris Conventions; and the first pan-African copyright law was signed in Tunisia and named after the country. Tunisia has modernized and reformed its IP system over the last ten years, bringing it up to date with international standards.

Technology poles

With the IP infrastructure in place, Plan X reformed the secondary education system to strengthen teaching in technology, economics and management, math, sciences and the arts. A growing number of high school graduates now go on to higher education, which is producing over 50,000 graduates a year. The government hopes to attract them to work in the country's technology poles/parks (called techno-poles) rather than seek employment abroad.

Tunisia's techno-poles aim to promote and accelerate innovation by linking enterprises, universities and research centers. Each techno-pole has an area of specialization which depends on the region in which it is established. The Borj Cédria pole, for example, deals with renewable energy and vegetal biotechnology, the Sidi Thabet pole biotechnology and pharmaceuticals, the Sfax pole computer systems and multi media, etc.

How do they work? Take, for example, the El-Ghazala technology and communication park, which opened in 2001. The services of the El-Ghazala are available to all companies...