This presentation attempts to address the international visibility of NISs in general and the Tunisian one in particular. It also makes preliminary recommendations.

1. The Visibility
of the Tunisian
National Innovation System (NIS)
Jelel Ezzine
DG of International Cooperation
Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research

2. The (in)Visibility
of the Tunisian
National Innovation System (NIS)
Jelel Ezzine
DG of International Cooperation
Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research

3. Visibility?

4. Why is it so?
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5. … does it make sense!?
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6. … Visibility!
University Government Industry
Cal Tech (1) NSF Apple
KAIST (94) KISTI Samsung
Univ. of Helsinki
TEKES Nokia
(91)

7. “Systemic” approach to understanding
Innovation’s impact on development
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8. Back to Tunisia
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9. International Cooperation
(Key partners)
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10. International bilateral R&D cooperation
(EU, MENA)
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 Foreign funding
(KDT) (KDT)
Bilateral calls 744 2216 7531
Other bilateral projects 15 30 16534
International org 9 - 925
Total 768 2246 24990
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
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11. Network of collaboration in Africa
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12. Tunisia
a top African performer (1:2)
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13. Tunisia
a top African performer (2:2)
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14. A Glimps to Tunisia’s Industry
(key data)
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,
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
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15. A Glimps to Tunisia’s Industry
(International firms)
International companies in Tunisia
ALCATEL – LUCENT
CISCO
MICROSOFT
LEONI
PHILIPS
SAGEM
SIEMENS
…
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16. … « 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
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.
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17. “A number of countries are challenging the traditional scientific superpowers,”
said Sir Chris Llewellyn Smith of Oxford university, who chaired the study team.
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.”
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18. Enhancing Tunisia’s
international visibility
• 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
– improves human ressources (attrating foreign knowledge workers
and 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!
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19. 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,
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.

20. Cooperation Cube Concept (C3)
STI Policy and
Cooperation Area Capacity Building R&D Management
Universities/ Research Centres/ Agencies/
Partner Institution
Research Centres Agencies Governments
Time Frame ST-MT MT MT-LT

21. Finnish NIS
v.s.
Tunisian NIS
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