April 19, 2013: Visit of a delegation from the French department of Essonne

An important French delegation of the French department of Essonne, near Paris, led by Mr. Jerome Guedj, MP and President of the General Council of Essonne, visited Technopark Sidi Thabet, on Friday 19 April 2013, accompanied by Mr. Baha Eddine Baccari, governor of Ariana.

This visit is part of the framework for the preparation of a partnership agreement between the French department of Essonne and the Governorate of Ariana, in various areas, including regional planning and economic development, youth, employment and citizenship. Following an overview of missions and objectives of Technopark Sidi Thabet, presented by Mr. Noureddine Bouzouaïa, its C.E.O, the present discussed the opportunities for academic, scientific and technological cooperation in the specialty fields of the Technopark. Especially since the Essonne hosts 20% of public research activities in France and home to some clusters in communications and biotechnology whose Genopole Evry with which Sidi Thabet Technopark has already signed an agreement in December 2009. Were present during the visit, MM. Roman Colas, council vice president charged of decentralized cooperation and Mayor of Boussy-Saint-Antoine, Michel Carreno Mayor of Saintry-sur-Seine and Sonia Dahou Mayor of Ulis.

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BiotechPole Sidi Thabet sponsors the 1st multidisciplinary Doctoriales of of Manouba University: As part of a strategy for breaking down barriers, listening and openness to the micro-economic and cultural environment, Manouba University (MAU) organized from 25 to 29 March 2013 its first multidisciplinary Doctoriales. Alternating interventions in plenary sessions, Round Tables, workshops, visits of companies and personalized coaching, this Doctoriales is thought as win-win formula for all participants (PhD students, teachers, researchers and executives in companies, etc). These days benefited from the help of North African and European experts working in Tempus project OSMOSE (structured opening of the university in its social economic world). The participants took part also in a working group with supervision of coaches on the elaboration of a multidisciplinary collective offer for the promotion of Manouba region. After deliberation of the jury, the best prize was awarded to the project "J'NEN EL BEY."

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26-27 March 2013, Kick off Meeting Project « Marine biotechnology an innovation & quality vector BioVecQ »

Within the framework of Cross-border Cooperation Program Italy-Tunisia 2007-2013, the National Institute for Sciences and Technologies of sea (INSTM) in collaboration with its partners: The Science and Technology Park of Sicily (PSTS, part. 1), the University Consortium of the Province of Trapani (UPTC, part.2), the Institute of Experimental Zooprophylactic Sicily-Mirri (IZSS, part.3), the Interventions Department Fishing - Sicilian Region (part. 4),

BiotechPole Sidi Thabet (part.5), Interprofessional Group of Fishery Products (GIPP, part.6), the Institution of Agricultural Research and Higher Education and (IRESA, Part.7); And its associates: Technopark Elgazala (Asso.1), the Regional Department of Health Activities (Asso.2) and the Competitiveness Pole of Bizerte (Asso.3) held in Tunis, the kick off meeting of the strategic project-ENPI « marine biotechnology innovation & quality vector BioVecQ ». This project aims to contribute to the integration and harmonization of biotechnological processes, decision-making analytical tools and the eco-innovations in favour of the sustainable socio-economic development of aquatic sector and halio-food products of Sicilian and Tunisian regions, and this by focusing on two fundamental aspects: collaboration between research centers and technological parks of the two shores of the Mediterranean and the integration of these actors with production and public systems. During the first day of the launch meeting, there was a display of the program and the project implementation, followed by a general introduction of the project BIOVecQ focused on its objectives, its work plan, its timelines... In this regard, the project will have six main components namely: Project Coordination / stakeholder roles / procedures to be adopted. Communication: conference/meeting/website/editorial. Study and sectoral analysis of halio-food fields and bioproducts in Sicily/Tunisia. Harmonization of work: analysis, transformation, traceability, storage. Development of new procedures: analysis, extraction/purification, production. Transfer: ICT-platform for exchange/services. The second day is devoted to the discussion of organizational matters (financial and technical reports, project management, dissemination & exploitation). At the end of this meeting, the participants have appointed the steering committee and the project technical one.

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BiotechPole Sidi Thabet has got a new industrial park at Tebourba

After the industrial park of Monastir, Sidi Thabet BiotechPole strengthens its production areas by obtaining a new industrial park of 80 hectares at Tebourba (Manouba governorate).

Located 34 km north of the capital Tunis and 34 km from the BiotechPole site (Access plan), this industrial park will be mainly oriented towards industry and services health (pharmaceutical & para-pharmaceutical industry, biotechnology and engineering applied to health). Accessibility and land supply will make this area a preferred development place for related companies. It will benefit from many basic infrastructural facilities according to the international standards: park management and professional maintenance of common equipments, fiber optics, security, gas...

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Start of the 2nd session of the "Training in analytical chemistry for capacity reinforcement of francophone African countries in the chemical weapons analysis» March 4, 2013, the National Institute for Research and physical and chemical analysis (INRAP) & OPCW Technical Secretariat launched the 2nd session of the " Training in analytical chemistry for capacity reinforcement of francophone African countries in the chemical weapons analysis " at INRAP, with the presence of the Minister of higher Education and scientific Research, Mr. Moncef ben Salem. This training is primarily dedicated to the mastery of two techniques GC and GC-MS. Its scientific content is centered around a set of theoretical and practical courses in INRAP’s laboratories (laboratory mass spectrometry and gas chromatography). This second session, which runs until March 15, 2013, at INRAP, BiotechPole Sidi Thabet, is funded jointly by OPCW Technical Secretariat and INRAP.

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November 28, 2012: BiotechPole Sidi Thabet participates in Business and Technology Convention “ CAT 2012 ”

BiotechPole Sidi Thabet took part in Business and Technology Convention, CAT 2012, from 28 to 30 November 2012, at Kram Exhibition. This event aims, in particular, the integration of Tunisian industry in Euro-Mediterranean economic space. Firstly, to raise its integration level and to increase the added value of manufactured products, secondly, to concretize innovating projects to highly technological content.

On this international occasion, organized by the Agency for the Promotion of Industry and Innovation (APII), in association with the central organization (UTICA) and in collaboration with the Foreign Investment Promotion Agency (FIPA) and the Export Promotion Centre (CEPEX), Sidi Thabet BiotechPole presented its objectives, its research, technology transfer and innovation activities and underlined its contribution to the polarization of innovative projects with high added value in biotechnology, pharmaceutical and pharmaceutical industries, life sciences and engineering applied to health. As part of the event, the Prime Minister, Hamadi Jebali, the Vice-President of the European Commission, Antonio Tajani, the Special Envoy of the European Union for the Southern Mediterranean, Bernardino Leon, and the ambassador, head of the EU Delegation in Tunisia, Laura Baeza, launch the consultative economic Council for the investments between EU and Tunisia.

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Launch of Inter-Islamic Network for Science and Technology Parks INSTP : Launched September 4, 2012, the Inter-Islamic Network for Science and Technology Parks gathers together science and technology parks developed in Muslim countries.

This network wishes to be a catalyst to unite the professionals who manage innovation and entrepreneurship domains in science and technology parks and to sustain their development and their growth. At the first general meeting of the INSTP, the participants selected the Executive board members who will represent the executive board for two years, namely : Prof. Noureddine Bouzouaia CEO BiotechPole Sidi Thabet, Tunisia, Mr. Nor Azman Hussein from MTDC, Malaysia and Dr. Hisham Al-Khayat from ESCB, Syria.

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