And then Tunisia comes into play...

Invited on April 15, 2026, to the Maison de la Chimie, in the heart of political Paris, for the presentation of the 2025 Automotive Personality of the Year award to Christophe Périllat, CEO of Valeo, I expected a well-oiled ceremony, with carefully calibrated speeches, disciplined applause, and controlled canapés. And I got all that. But I also discovered something else entirely: a leader who already speaks of the software-defined car as a concrete industrial turning point, a French automotive industry still searching for its backbone in the face of China and the tech sector, and, during a speech from Tunisia, a line of thought I hadn't anticipated.

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The real surprise, for me, comes at the end. Or rather, just before the moment when the mind begins to seriously consider a discreet exit into the open air. Myriam Elloumi speaks. And suddenly, the frame widens.

I was, of course, familiar with Morocco's rise in the automotive sector, its industrial trajectory, its ability to attract factories, and its successes, which have become almost standard when discussing industrial competitiveness in Southern Europe. However, I hadn't fully grasped the Tunisian perspective on the subject. And that's where the evening went from being merely informative to genuinely stimulating.

Because what the TAA is saying today isn't just the story of a country trying to attract a few investments by playing the cost card. It's a much more structured narrative about Tunisia as an industrial and technological hub between Europe and Africa, with a skilled workforce, a desire to move upmarket, integration into global value chains, and a clear objective of attracting more automotive investment. The TAA is hammering home this positioning in its recent communications, emphasizing the country's innovation, sustainability, and industrial appeal. Myriam Elloumi , elected president of the association for the 2024-2027 term, perfectly embodies this approach.

And then something interesting happens. While the evening initially seemed to be about celebrating the achievement of a French industrialist in a very Parisian setting, it ultimately opened a much broader window onto the coming international competition. Not only is China already present, not only does Europe still have doubts about its defense capabilities and industrial strategy, but other regions are also working methodically to make themselves indispensable in the new global automotive landscape.

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Benoît Alves - larevueautomobile.com
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