The EBRD is supporting Tunisia with the launch of a new study that seeks to boost innovation, create jobs and develop the role of the knowledge economy in the country.
The study, “Knowledge Economy Assessment of Tunisia”, was produced by the consultancy firm Whiteshield Partners and funded by the EBRD’s Southern and Eastern Mediterranean Multi-Donor Account*.
It looks at the drivers that support the development of knowledge-based capabilities as well as the barriers that stand in their way.
It also seeks to identify innovation gaps in the Tunisian economy and aims to provide practical answers as to how they can be addressed.
The study was launched on 14 February in Tunis, at a round-table discussion organised by the Tunisian Ministry of Economy and Finance, UTICA (the Tunisian Union for Commerce, Industry and Handicrafts), and the EBRD.
The main speakers were Noureddine Zekri, State Secretary for Development and International Cooperation, Hichem Elloumin, UTICA’s First Vice President, and Marie-Alexandra Veilleux, the head of the EBRD’s office in Tunisia. More than one hundred people attended, from the private sector and authorities.
Ms Veilleux said: “There is huge potential in the Tunisian economy and we are very eager to help Tunisia unleash that potential by supporting the drive towards greater innovation. Raising the role of the Knowledge Economy is a crucial part of that process.”
* The Southern and Eastern Mediterranean Multi-Donor Account is supported by Australia, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom.