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The Prime Minister Presides Over the Award Ceremony of the Winners of the National Competition and the World Championship of Invention

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TICAD

The exhibition saw the participation of 15 countries of different nationalities, including African countries, among which Tunisia

TUNIS, Tunisia, September 23, 2022/APO Group/ — 

The Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy, in collaboration with the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and under the chairmanship of the Head of Government, Najla Bouden, organized on 1 and 02 September 2022, the event TUNISIA TICAD INNOVATION 2022 “Crossroads of Business and Innovation in Africa. In this context, the Head of Government presided over the opening of the International Exhibition of Innovation, Research and Invention, as well as the award ceremony of the 3rd edition of the National Competition of Invention and the 1st World Championship of Invention and Scientific Research, as part of the parallel events to the Tokyo Conference for Development in Africa -TICAD 8. These events were organized by the Agency for the Promotion of Industry and Innovation (APII) (http://www.TunisieIndustrie.nat.tn), in the presence of the ambassadors of Japan, Egypt and the European Union, the President of UTICA, high-level official delegations, national and international organizations, institutions and funding and investors.

The exhibition saw the participation of 15 countries of different nationalities, including African countries, among which Tunisia. The best innovations and research candidates for the third edition of the National Competition of Invention and the first World Championship of Invention and Scientific Research, as well as startups and innovative companies especially in the sectors and services of automotive components and aerospace, were reviewed, in addition to the participation of support structures involved in the system of innovation, research and technology promotion.

The Prime Minister together with the Minister of Industry, Mines and Energy presented the prizes to the winners of the National Invention Competition in its third edition and the World Invention Championship, both competitions were evaluated by an international jury of experts of different nationalities, the results of which resulted in the crowning of a set of individual and institutional inventions within the framework of the national competition and the victory of candidates from different countries within the framework of the World Invention Championship, as follows :

3rd edition of the National Invention Contest

CATEGORY “INDIVIDUAL INVENTOR”

1st prize – Mr. Sofiane BEN ABDALLAH 

Invention: Digital system for voice warning of road drivers by infrared digital road signs

2nd prize  –  Mr.  Hamadi  BEN MIM

Invention : Propeller alternator that charges the batteries of electric cars

3rd prize – Ms. Fatma AROUSSI

Invention : Waterproof stockings and leg prosthesis fixers

CATEGORY “INSTITUTIONAL INVENTOR” 

1st prize  – Ms. Erij MESSAADI– Institut Pasteur de Tunis

Invention : Lebecetin (LCT), a molecule derived from snake venom, as a neovascularization inhibitor in the treatment of ocular diseases, cancers or inflammatory disorders with neovascular component

2nd  prize  – Ms. Basma HADJ KACEM– Biotechnological Center of Sfax.

Invention : Pharmaceutical preparation with high anti-hemorrhagic power

3rd prize   – Ms. Nidhal SALEM– Borj Cedria Biotechnology Center

Invention : Process for obtaining a meat bioconservative based on a natural colorant

1st International Championship of Invention and Scientific Research

The winners of the World Championship were crowned with world prizes and titles such as the “Europe Prize” awarded by the European Union, the “Africa Prize” awarded by the African Development Bank (ADB) and the “Tunisia Prize” awarded by the Deposit and Consignment Office and funded by the World Bank.

CATEGORY “INVENTOR”

1st prize  – (TUNISIA)

Ms. Basma HADJ KACEM 

Invention : Pharmaceutical preparation with high anti-hemorrhagic power

2nd  prize –   (KUWAIT)  

Ms. HAWRAA MAIRZA                  

Mr. Talel AL HIZAMI,

Mr. Mohamed Salah EL DHAFIRI              

Mr. Abderrazak EL KHALAF         

Mr. Mohamed Nawef EL BAHR

Invention : Special Machines based on IOT technology

3rd prize  – KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA

Ms. HESSA ABDALLAH EL HUWEISH

Invention : Tool for identifying ocular inclinations

CATEGORY “RESEARCHER”

1st prize – TUNISIA

Ms. YOSR GHOZZI

Mr.  ADEL MOHAMED ALIMI

Ms. IKHLASS BEN AYED

Mr. SABER MASMOUDI

Mr. TARAK MOHAMED HAMDANI

Invention : Application to search for similar dysmorphic images

2nd  prize –  JORDAN

Mr. FADI CHAHROURI

Invention : Design of low voltage integrated circuits

3rd prize

TUNISIA –  Mr. EL AKRAM HAYOUNI

Invention : Development of an intensive breeding system of edible insect species to initiate the basis of tomorrow’s human and animal food.

JORDAN –  Ms. ALAA YOUSSEF GHIDHAN

Invention : Nanotechnological applications in medicine

These prizes were awarded by the European Union, the African Development Bank, the World Bank, the Deposit and Consignment Office, the Abdelwahab Ben Ayed Foundation, the structures and support institutions under the Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy, as well as by the Global Universal Innovations (GOIDI) and the International Federation of Invention (IFIA)

The Prime Minister also visited the pavilion of startups specializing in technology sectors and useful innovations in the fields of environment, green economy, artificial intelligence and health. She also visited the Automotive Hackathon area, which brings together several teams of engineers specialized in the field of information software for the development of innovative software in the automotive components sector, which allowed her to meet young innovative creators capable of creating inventions with high added value for the future of a smart industry based on innovative and groundbreaking rules.

The following is a list of the winners of the awards presented by the Minister of Industry, Mines and Energy and awarded by the German Cooperation Program:

Hackathon « HACK AFRICA AUTOMATIVE »

I. First challenge –

Challenge sponsor: VISTEON

Smart troubleshooting application

1st Laureate

As the results expected by the challenge holder and the organizers were not achieved, the first prize for the selected challenge (will not be awarded)

2nd Laureate

NEURODATA team consisting of : Yassine Hamdaoui – Bacem Ben Hamdaoui – Feriel Haouala

II. Second challenge

Challenge sponsor: FRACAMA

Mastery of the requirements in terms of “carbon Foot print”

1st Laureate

BOTVERSE team consisting of : Eya kaabachi – Semah kadri – Chaima khemiri – Fares moalla – Moez bouchoucha

2nd Laureate

The Prime Minister together with the Minister of Industry, Mines and Energy presented the prizes to the winners of the National Invention Competition

LAB DIGITAL BONTAZ team consisting of : Jemli Ghassen – Mohamed Ali Hosni – Ahlem Mahmoud – Imen Ben Samir – Mohamed Weslati

III. Third challenge

Challenge sponsor: StartupGateX and ACTIA AFRICA

SMART ASSISTANCE CAR DASHBOARD USING AI TECHNOLOGY

1st Laureate

TONOM team consisting of : Achraf gazzeh – Ahmed marnissi – Oussema jlassi – Meryem soltani – Khawla soltani

2nd Laureate

Bug Busters team consisting of : Zahra Soula  – Maudhaffer Bouallegui – Dorra Makhloufi – Yasmine Daly – Nour Sbaoul

TEAMCAD team consiseting of : Mohamed ali zormati – Hana ben Ghezail – Yassine ayadi – Ranim saidi – Anis ben ghanem

Pitching Sessions

Among the side events organized is a matchmaking gathering of startups in the fields of technological innovation, under the joint organization of the APII and the Startup Tunisia Foundation, which focuses on the promotion of projects, the creation of a space for exchange and networking of young researchers and funding. These projects include:

StartupSectorFounder
SghartoonEdTechHidayet AyadiA learning application for children using interactive cartoons, exercises and games, with content adapted for dyslexic children.
Bako MotorsAutomobileBoubaker SialaBako Motors manufactures electric vehicles, with a solar power system, to ensure a range of 40 km per day, and offers professional adaptation solutions for a rapid entry into electric mobility.
Pixii MotorsMobilityAnis FkihManufacture of an intelligent two-wheeled electric scooter designed for two people with a removable battery, including an intelligent dashboard combining software and hardware engineering.
Ezzayra SolutionsAgriTechYasser BououdDevelopment and integration of technological products for agriculture. Software, hardware and robotics.
KUMULUSGreenTechIheb TrikiKumulus specializes in building machines the size of mini-fridges, producing 30 liters of drinking water per day using only solar energy and atmospheric humidity.
WattnowEnergy solutionsMalek AttallahWattnow offers an IoT power monitoring and control solution that helps businesses reduce waste and improve energy efficiency
HistoriarCreative TechHouda BAKIR et Jihed MakniHistorIAR relies on artificial intelligence and augmented reality to offer a mobile application for “immersive augmented tours” to visitors of archaeological and heritage sites.
Med.tnHealthTechIssam BellajMed.tn is a platform for making appointments, medical directory and teleconsultation.
NextAvMobilityHichem MokniNextAV provides innovative solutions and services for aerial mapping and photography, starting from ultralight aircraft to large-scale drones.
RoboCareAgritechImen HbiriRobocare offers a solution to the rapid spread of diseases in greenhouse plants and the extensive use of pesticides. Robocare detects diseases at an early stage using spectral technology, which will improve the quality and quantity of crops and reduce the use of pesticides.
CynoiaBusiness managementNassreddine RiahiCynoia is a platform that brings together all your communication and collaboration tools under one roof, simply and efficiently.

Recommendations from the TUNISIA TICAD INNOVATION 2022:

1/ Perpetuate TTINN 2022 to ensure annual follow-up of the TICAD International Conference preparatory actions focusing on economic themes and priorities for Africa’s transformation through innovation and industrialization.

2/ Consolidate through the establishment of the Africa-Japan Symposium on Society, Science and Technology (AFJASSST), a multidisciplinary international conference, which will focus on economic, technical, scientific and technological innovation in partnership with TICAD member countries.

3/ Establishing a network of technoparks, incubators and school innovation centers:

This includes the establishment of networks of technoparks, schools, high schools, universities and incubators connected in Africa for the promotion of regional and international partnerships in all high value-added sectors and investments in knowledge and innovation with TICAD countries and the rest of the world, drawing on Japanese expertise in this field.

4/ Creation and launching of the initiative of creating an Invention Industrialization Fund and a platform bringing together researchers and industrialists on the African continent.

5/ Annual organization of the International Championship of Invention and Scientific Research by the international organizing committee composed of Everest International for Invention (member of Global International Development Investment), Agencies and International National Financial Institutions. The headquarters of this committee will be in Tunisia. The applications of the countries wishing to host the 2nd edition of the international championship of invention and scientific research will be known later.

All these events will only be possible if a national and international steering committee associated with the TICAD organizing committee is quickly set up in partnership with the countries of the African continent.

It is worth highlighting that the event featured several workshops on various industry and innovation axes, including one on technology transfer strategies, another on water, energy and material sciences for sustainable development in Africa, as well as on biotechnology, health, food, agriculture, information and communication technologies, as well as innovative relationships between personal medicine, genetic engineering, nanotechnology and innovations, and the Crowdfunding project.

Of the 2,985 who registered, 1,583 attended the event, with 764 online attendees, 253 partnership applications and 89 exhibitors. The organizers of the event have sought to strengthen the role of Tunisia as a strategic partner of Africa and promote its presence in the scientific field to the international community, in partnership with Japan and the TICAD countries, and technology transfer to developing countries.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Agence de Promotion de l’Industrie et de l’Innovation.

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Hainan FTP marks 6-month milestone of special customs operations, signs deals during Hong Kong visit

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June 30, 2026

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Hong Kong

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 29 June 2026 – As the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP) marked the six-month milestone since the launch of its full special customs operations, a Hainan provincial delegation wrapped up a three-day visit to Hong Kong. During the visit, the delegation signed deepened cooperation agreements with several major local chambers of commerce and promoted the latest policies introduced since the island-wide special customs operations took effect.

According to data released by Hainan Province during the visit, Hainan’s foreign trade has surged since the launch of special customs operations. As of June 17, the province’s total goods imports and exports reached RMB 173.98 billion (approximately US$24 billion), up 54.6% year on year. Imports of zero-tariff goods hit RMB 2.645 billion, a 120% jump that generated tariff savings of RMB 440 million. A total of 172,100 new market entities were registered—a 61% increase—including 1,240 foreign-invested enterprises. Zero-tariff items now account for 74% of all tariff lines, benefiting more than 12,000 market entities.

During the Hong Kong visit, China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Hainan Provincial Committee (CCPIT Hainan) signed separate deepened cooperation MOUs with the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce, Hong Kong and the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce. Under the MOUs, the parties will establish a regular liaison mechanism for the periodic exchange of economic and trade information, and will promote collaboration in areas including professional services, green finance, the digital economy, supply chain management, and cultural tourism. Mutual enterprise service desks will be set up to provide consulting services regarding policies and projects. The parties will leverage their complementary strengths to help Chinese mainland enterprises access overseas markets via Hong Kong, while facilitating Hong Kong companies’ entry into the Chinese mainland through Hainan.

The delegation also held talks with the British Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong and the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, exploring ways for British and American businesses to leverage Hainan’s value-added processing tariff exemptions and multifunctional free trade accounts to position themselves in regional supply chains and cross-border investment and financing. HSBC, De Beers, and other British firms are already active in Hainan, and the UK served as the Guest of Honor country at the 2025 China International Consumer Products Expo.

According to industry analysts, amid the shifting international trade landscape, Hainan is leveraging Hong Kong’s “super-connector” role to accelerate its integration with global capital and business networks, while simultaneously offering the Hong Kong business community a policy testing ground for entering the Chinese mainland market.

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Africa’s Grid Constraints Come into Focus as Regional Markets Push Toward Integration

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June 26, 2026

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Africa

Regional power pools are advancing and renewable pipelines are growing, but the regulatory and financial architecture needed to connect them remains the continent’s most critical infrastructure gap – an issue central to the Power Africa Today conference at AEW 2026

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, June 25, 2026/APO Group/ –Africa’s electricity demand is projected to nearly double to 2,291 TWh by 2050, requiring an estimated $30 billion in transmission and grid infrastructure investment to unlock and integrate new generation capacity. Yet across the continent, grid systems are struggling to keep pace with rapidly expanding supply pipelines and rising demand.

In Nigeria, repeated nationwide grid collapses as recently as February 2026 underscore the fragility of aging transmission infrastructure. In East Africa, tower failures along the 428 km Loiyangalani-Suswa line temporarily stranded output from Lake Turkana Wind Power – Africa’s largest wind installation. Meanwhile, demand growth pressures are accelerating across North Africa, where electricity consumption is expected to rise by around 50% by 2035, driven by urbanization, desalination projects, and climate-related temperature increases.

Despite these constraints, generation investment continues to accelerate across Africa, particularly in renewables, gas-to-power and hybrid systems. However, without equivalent investment in transmission and interconnection, much of this new capacity risks being underutilized or stranded. This growing imbalance between generation and grid capacity is driving a sharper focus on system-wide planning and regional market design – issues that will be central to the newly launched Power Africa Today conference at African Energy Week 2026. The platform will bring together policymakers, utilities, investors and developers to explore how regional interconnection, cross-border trading frameworks and financing structures can better align generation growth with grid expansion.

Power Markets Experiment with Reform

Alongside infrastructure challenges, Africa’s electricity sector is undergoing gradual – but uneven – market reform. Most countries still operate vertically integrated systems dominated by state utilities, but a growing number are introducing competitive frameworks to attract private capital and improve efficiency.

Zimbabwe opened its electricity market to full private participation across generation, transmission and distribution in 2025, targeting $9 billion in new investment. South Africa is advancing one of the continent’s most ambitious grid expansion programs, with plans for 14,500 km of new transmission lines and 133,000 MVA of transformer capacity by 2034, alongside mechanisms designed to crowd in private financing. Kenya, meanwhile, has introduced open access regulations enabling independent power producers to wheel electricity directly to multiple off-takers, reshaping how generation assets interface with the grid.

Interconnected electricity markets are the foundation of Africa’s industrial future

Regional Integration Remains Fragmented

Efforts to connect Africa’s fragmented power systems are progressing, though at different speeds across regions. In Southern Africa, the World Bank’s RETRADE SAPP program, approved in 2025, is deploying $12 million to strengthen renewable integration and transmission capacity across 12 member states. In East Africa, the Ethiopia–Kenya–Tanzania Electricity Highway is now in trial operations at up to 2,000 MW, marking a significant step toward a more interconnected regional grid.

West Africa is also moving toward deeper integration, with permanent synchronization of the West Africa Power Pool expected in 2026. Analysts, including the African Finance Corporation, argue that such synchronization is critical to unlocking large-scale hydropower potential and industrial demand across the region. Longer term, full synchronization between the Eastern and Southern African power pools – targeted for the end of 2026 – could create one of the world’s largest cross-border electricity trading corridors.

Building Bankable Financial Architectures

While interconnection is advancing, infrastructure alone is not enough to create investable electricity markets. Investors consistently cite the lack of standardized offtake structures, creditworthy counterparties, and cross-border payment guarantees as key barriers to scaling capital deployment.

New models are emerging to address these constraints. Africa GreenCo, operating across Zambia, Namibia and South Africa, is helping to aggregate independent power producers under a single creditworthy intermediary, standardizing power purchase agreements and reducing counterparty risk. At a broader level, AUDA-NEPAD estimates that Africa requires around $30 billion in additional investment to complete priority transmission corridors and establish three fully interconnected regional trading blocs by 2030.

“Interconnected electricity markets are the foundation of Africa’s industrial future,” said NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber. “The question at Africa Energy Week is not whether integration is possible – the evidence is already there. The question is which regulatory frameworks and financial structures will get projects to financial close, and which markets will be ready when capital is looking to move.”

The Power Africa Today conference will run alongside AEW 2026, taking place October 12–16 in Cape Town, and will focus on the regulatory, financial and infrastructural architecture needed to build interconnected electricity markets capable of attracting institutional capital and delivering reliable, cross-border power at scale.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

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African Development Bank Group and La Francophonie Sign Partnership Agreement to Promote Youth Employment in Francophone Africa

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June 26, 2026

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The agreement was signed during a meeting between the Secretary General of La Francophonie, Louise Mushikiwabo, and African Development Bank Group President, Dr Sidi Ould Tah in Paris, France

PARIS, France, June 25, 2026/APO Group/ –The African Development Bank Group (www.AfDB.org) and The International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF) on Wednesday entered a strategic partnership to strengthen digital skills, employability, and entrepreneurship of young people and women in five African countries: Benin, Cameroon, Guinea, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Madagascar.

 

The agreement was signed during a meeting between the Secretary General of La Francophonie, Louise Mushikiwabo, and African Development Bank Group President, Dr Sidi Ould Tah in Paris, France. The agreement will address a major challenge faced by countries in the Francophone world and across Africa: providing young people with access to opportunities offered by the digital economy and fostering the emergence of a new generation of entrepreneurs.

The partnership calls for the implementation of training programs in digital professions and entrepreneurship, in fields such as web and mobile development, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and data analysis. Participants will also receive guidance toward employment and self-employment, as well as support for innovation and business creation, notably through training camps, prototyping activities, and partnerships with incubators and accelerators.

The African Development Bank Group and OIF will also work with national authorities in these five countries and training institutions to sustainably strengthen local capacities and promote ownership of the programs by national stakeholders. An initial pilot phase, lasting 12 to 24 months, will be rolled out in the five partner countries, followed by a gradual expansion to other member states depending on the results achieved.

The African Development Bank Group is pursuing a bold agenda based on “Four Cardinal Points” developed by Dr Ould Tah, the third of which is ‘Turning Demographics into a Dividend.’ This is about strategically converting Africa’s rapidly growing and youthful population into a decisive engine of inclusive growth, productivity, and innovation through large-scale investment in human capital—particularly youth and women.

 

It sees Africa’s growing young population not as a risk, but as a major asset. With the right policies and investments, this potential can create jobs, help small businesses grow, bring more informal businesses into the formal economy, and equip young people with the skills needed for the future. By investing more in education, science and technology, vocational training, entrepreneurship, finance, and digital tools, Africa can help its people drive economic transformation, stay competitive, and build lasting, resilient growth.

The OIF said the agreement marked the first concrete step in its initiative to mobilize innovative and additional funding for its most impactful projects.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

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