Tunisia has initiated a national project titled "Smart and Sustainable Infrastructure," which aims to support institutions and economic actors in their transition to sustainability. The project, which will run for seven months until April 2027, is part of the "CréAfrique 2.0" program. It seeks to establish cooperation between institutions, startups, researchers, universities, experts, and project holders to develop solutions that respond to the actual challenges of the Tunisian economy.
The project will target 500 young people and project holders, involve 100 experts and researchers, engage with 50 institutions, support 15 projects, and organize visits to 12 cities. Additionally, it aims to publish 10 scientific articles on sustainability issues. The project's leader, Fatma Attia, stated that the initiative represents a link between researchers, project holders, and institutions, allowing them to transform actual challenges into applicable solutions related to the Tunisian economy.
The project will focus on four main axes: raising awareness about sustainability issues, measuring the level of practices, needs, and challenges among institutions, promoting innovation to develop suitable solutions for the Tunisian reality, and developing the necessary capacities and competencies to accompany future transformations. The project also relies on five main areas: employment, training, innovation, scientific research, and entrepreneurship.
A "Innovation Laboratory" will be a key component of the project, bringing together institutions, startups, experts, researchers, and students to work on identifying challenges, formulating solutions, and experimenting with prototypes before applying them. A scientific committee consisting of researchers and experts will oversee this approach and monitor its implementation.
The project includes a research component, establishing a collaborative research space with the Center for Economic and Social Research and Studies. It aims to publish 10 scientific articles and analyze data collected during the project's stages. The project also involves preparing the first national study on the level of maturity of corporate social responsibility among over 100 Tunisian institutions.
The project's main milestones are divided into three phases. The first phase involves its official launch on October 2, 2026, within the "CréAfrique 2.0" program. The second phase includes organizing the "Hackathon 2.0" on January 30-31, 2027. The third phase concludes with the organization of the "Innovation for Smart and Sustainable Infrastructure" forum on April 20-21, 2027.
The "Corporate Social Responsibility Convoy" will tour 12 cities, including Bizerte, Tunis, Sousse, Mahdia, Sfax, Djerba, Gabès, Tozeur, Sidi Bouzid, Kairouan, Kef, and Bajah. The goal is to listen to local actors, identify sustainability challenges in each region, and work on finding solutions tailored to their economic specificities.
Key points
- The project aims to support 500 young people and project holders in their transition to sustainability.
- The project will publish 10 scientific articles on sustainability issues.
- The project will organize visits to 12 cities across Tunisia.
