IT parks

"Thanks to its considerable advantages, Tunisia can help shared service centers save more than 20% in operating costs, compared to Morocco and Rumania" , according to the study «Tunisia’s knowledge-based economy and its attractiveness as a site for FDI», Ernst & Young (2007).

Over the last few years, Tunisia has strived to develop a forward-looking strategy to meet the challenge of integral development, to give concrete form to a knowledge-based economy, and to master new information and communication technologies.
Tunisia has also been ranked 35st out of 127 countries considered the most advanced in the new ICT sector, ahead of Italy, Hungary, South Africa and Morocco. (World Economic Forum, 2007-2008).

Tunisia is also one of the few African countries to have a technology park. Based in Tunis, The telecommunications technology park of El Ghazala has very modern infrastructure that meets the needs of state-of-the-art companies in new ICT sectors. This complex provides an innovative environment based on creative intelligence and high technology.

This park has undergone successive expansion to meet the ever-growing needs of these companies. Indeed, many high-tech companies and major foreign groups are setting up business in the field of new information technologies: call centers, internet research centers ...

Six new technopoles specialised by sectors are being built throughout the country:

	The technopole of Borj Cedria, is specialized in renewable energy, water, environment and plant biotechnology. This technopole gather a number of higher institutes (environmental sciences and technologies, computer activities, and technological studies) and three research centers working in these sectors.
	The technopole of Sidi Thabet, is devoted to biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. It gathers a number of higher institutes as well as Tunisia’s veterinary school and the national center for nuclear sciences and technologies.
	The technopole of Sousse, works in the mechanical, electronic, and computer sectors. A business incubator and technological resources center are now installed in this facility.
	The Sfax technopole, devoted to informatics and multi media. Training and scientific research are provided by a number of computer and multimedia institutes and research centers.
	The Monastir technopole focuses on textiles/clothing. The higher institute for fashion and the physico-chemical research center are some of the structures found on this technopole.
	The Bizerte technopole supports agrofood industries, with a food technology and sciences research center and the national engineering school of Bizerte.