larevueautomobile.com - 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 sector still searching for its backbone in the face of China and the tech industry, and, during a speech from Tunisia, a line of thought I hadn't anticipated.

Automotive software, R&D and industrial transformation in Tunisia The Tunisian Automotive Association (TAA) is highlighted in the special issue No. 324 of Managers magazine, dedicated to the strategic transformation of the Tunisian automotive industry.

The Minister of Industry, Mines and Energy, Ms. Fatma Thabet Chiboub, oversaw, on Friday, December 19, at the headquarters of the Tunisian Automotive Association (TAA) in Tunis, the closing of a training session for a group of journalists from various print, electronic and audiovisual media.

Tunisia, long perceived as an emerging market, is now establishing itself as a key player in the automotive industry in North Africa and the Euro-Mediterranean region. With nearly 300 companies, 120,000 jobs, and €3.9 billion in exports, the country is demonstrating its capacity to produce high-tech automotive components, while attracting international investors and preparing for the future of electric and connected mobility.

The Tunisian automotive sector, a historical pillar of the national industry, is reaching a strategic turning point, oscillating between industrial saturation and new engineering opportunities. According to Sabri Brahem, a member of the steering committee of the Tunisian Automotive Association (TAA) and regional human resources manager at Dräxlmaier, the model based on mass production and exports is reaching maturity, requiring a reorientation of sectoral priorities.

For several years, the automotive industry in Tunisia has been engaged in a process of continuous adaptation to respond to the rapid evolution of the international market and increasingly intense competition. By 2025, the sector will comprise more than 280 active companies—a number that has more than doubled since 2000—enabling Tunisia to become the second-largest producer of automotive components in Africa.