INNOVATION – 18 Start-ups and 13 researchers participate in the 2nd Innovators Academy in Tunis

On 23 and 24 April 2019 in Tunis, EBAN – the European Business Angel Network and APII, the Tunisian Agency for the Promotion of Industry and Innovation, with the support of ANIMA Investment Network, B@Labs and CONECT, organised the 2nd Innovators Academy of the THE NEXT SOCIETY initiative. 

This event launched the acceleration programme for the 2nd promotion of Start-up Booster Track entrepreneurs and the 1st Tunisian promotion of researcher-entrepreneurs accompanied by the Tech Transfer Booster Track. The exchanges continued on April 25 during the Tunisia Smart Industry Forum in partnership with the Tunisian Ministry of Industry and SMEs, under the High Patronage of the Head of Government.

Building on the success of the 1st edition of the Innovators Academy held in Milan in May 2018

The 2nd promotion of entrepreneurs supported by the THE NEXT SOCIETY Acceleration Program for Start-ups, the Start-up Booster Track, met in Tunis during the 2nd edition of the Innovators Academy. The first edition was held in Milan in 2018.

21 entrepreneurs representing 18 start-ups from 7 countries in the Middle East and North Africa region took part in the two-day event during which they had the opportunity to work on their business plan and pitch, improve their intellectual property strategy in the presence of investors, business angels and financing experts during the rapid mentoring and coaching sessions in small groups. They also had the opportunity to connect with other selected entrepreneurs, researchers and expert mentors from the region to accelerate their project as part of the Start-up Booster Track.

“I am extremely satisfied with what is happening in the Tunisian innovation ecosystem. This started a few years ago and is now experiencing a real dynamic: there is an ecosystem, a legislative framework and the actors are working together. This event is a good example of working together, which is the best way to innovate and create value. We are a partner of THE NEXT SOCIETY and we believe in it,” said Noomane Fehri, former Minister of Technology and Digital Economy and co-founder of B@Labs, during his participation at the Innovators Academy.

Tech Transfer Booster Track THE NEXT SOCIETY kicks off in Tunisia

For the first time, the training also addressed 13 Tunisian researchers who wanted to create a start-up based on an innovative technological project and who also took part in these two days of intensive training thanks to the Tech Transfer Booster Track THE NEXT SOCIETY support program, led by APII in Tunisia. Three projects were selected at the end of the Innovators Academy to benefit from an acceleration programme in Tunisia and to participate in a workshop dedicated to collaboration between major groups and innovators on the theme of Smart City as part of the Emerging Valley Summit to be held in December 2019 in Marseille, France.

Artificial intelligence: a lever of competitiveness for the company

As part of its strategy of transition to industry 4.0, the Tunisian Ministry of Industry and SMEs organized on April 25, 2019 the “Tunisia Smart Industry Forum” on the theme: “Artificial intelligence: a lever of competitiveness for the company” with which THE NEXT SOCIETY is associated. Organized under the High Patronage of the Head of Government, in partnership with PromoNet, this forum brought together the various stakeholders on the subject around key questions: how to implement strategies to promote artificial intelligence in promising sectors?

How can this technological transition be put at the service of economic and business development? The coordinator of the THE NEXT SOCIETY initiative, Mathias Fillon, stated during his intervention in the IA’s Socio-economic Challenges and Issues panel: “Through his action, THE NEXT SOCIETY strengthens innovation ecosystems through a transversal approach to innovation. This collaborative approach meets the needs of companies and public authorities who, in order to integrate these new digital technologies, must develop real strategies and often make significant investments. This is where start-ups, which are much more agile and work with AI, come into play, particularly through meetings where audiences are mixed or by launching open challenges that meet the challenges of industrialists or public authorities.”  The partnership THE NEXT SOCIETY with the Ministry on this day on artificial intelligence and industry 4.0 is part of the strategic component of the initiative which, through its political advocacy action, supports national innovation strategies. 

Download the catalogue of profiles of entrepreneurs and researchers

Download the press release PDF (in French only)