Enjoying a privileged position upon 235 Kilometres on the Mediterranean coast, SFAX is situated between the Governorate of Mahdia from the north and the Governorate of GABES from the South. It has a close functional relationship with internal Tunisia. The Governorate of SFAX, with its 7569 square kilometres of area, is structured around a metropolitan area - the Great SFAX -- with nearly half a million inhabitants, 50% of the population of the region.
The urban centre is renowned for its economic dynamism. A dynamism inherited from ancient times. It has its roots in the vitality of its current production system too. It offers a variety of activities that have held itself for quite some time access to both domestic and international markets.
This access is supported both by the expansion of productive infrastructure and the support of the city that is the intrinsic characteristics of its population.
The second place it occupies on the national scene is related to its demographic weight, to the quality of its human potential and to its economic role reinforced by its greater openness to the outside. It is easy to recognize in SFAX region the character of an area combining functions of agricultural, industrial, commercial, educational and research, eco-touristic, administrative, etc...
The population of the governorate, with a significant development, has more than doubled in a time interval covering nearly three decades (1975-2009), reaching 917 400 inhabitants. 60% live in Great SFAX which covers not far than 9 / 10th of the regional population communal.
2- SFAX: a changing space:
The population dynamics are originated in the urban changes of Greater SFAX, changes that are readable through the major urban operations already carried out and / or programmed in, mostly large international projects including principally:
The development of new urban centre at the gates of El-Medina beginning with SFAX El-Jedida,
The presidential project Taparura extending the city on 420 acres of undeveloped land reclaimed from the sea north of the city. In addition to the spaces provided to accommodate the business and services in the area that have been set for residential, tourism (business travel and conference) and recreational. Then there is the creation of green spaces to offset the deficit now regretted at the level of agglomeration.
The airport extension and redevelopment of the airport terminal that are serving the city, in its hinterland and its more distant peripheries. The development of this infrastructure offers opportunities for increased trade with the outside as well as prospects for increasing international links providing greater mobility of people and goods.
The proposed project for the rehabilitation and reorganization of the south coast within the SMAP III programs and within a more ambitious approach, that of designing a strategy of long – term development settlement.
The guidance to the development of SFAX is in line prospects identified in previous planning documents and planning (including mainly the Master Plan for National Development Planning), wishing to make Great SFAX a Mediterranean metropolis, competitive, attractive, and finally reconciled with its coastline.
The territorial competitiveness and attractiveness of Great SFAX are likely to improve and strengthen the export potential of the region as a whole.
3-SFAX: A source of agricultural land rent:
The agricultural activity occupying a 9/10ths of the area of the governorate for a very long time is one of the pillars of socio-economic region. It is marked by the primacy of two traditional speculations encircling the urban area of Great SFAX - the olive tree at the top and then the almonds, which have added new activities: Vegetable crops at high yield and developed through the creation of irrigated public and private areas (public area irrigated 1365 ha in 2008 and 9677 ha for private ones).The livestock (sheep, goats, cattle, poultry, etc..) constitutes an important sector of regional economy.
With its 6 million olive trees often secular and 5 million almond trees, the region is placed at the forefront of productive Olive oil regions (between 1 / 3 and ½ of the national production by triturating campaigns even picked olives in other regions) as well as the production of almonds with 1 / 3 of overall production.
The olive oil sector is particularly thriving for the urban and regional development. It not only Not only it introduces a dynamic economic system in the local and regional contribution to the strengthening of its funding from revenues generated by the exported tonnages ,but it also assures the re-injection into the economy locally and regionally.
This sector is best known for the number of jobs created. This impact is expected to grow, now, given the conditioning activity of olive oil to supply the market even outside the Mediterranean (for example North American and Asian).
Thus higher value exports are possible from the moment they would be focusing on strengthening the process of packaging, marketing of organic oils and locally labelled productions and the exploitation of new opportunities offered by vegetable production and fruit.
4-SFAX: opportunities of a rich fishery:
The governorate of SFAX, known for its fish wealth has 8 ports of fishing activity and unevenly distributed along its coastline from North to South.
The centrepiece of this set, inlaid in the Gulf of GABES, the fishing port of SFAX is the first Tunisian fishing port with modern and well-stocked fleet, practically inshore fishing, fishing fire, tuna, etc.., providing 2 / 3 of production in the governorate’s production and 1 / 3 of that of the country. This production is sold up to 40% in foreign markets, which corresponds to 70% of Tunisian exports of seafood and species with high commercial value.
However, between 2006 and 2008, the markets were loosing attractively so that the output port of SFAX has decreased from 12 516 tonnes to only 8 126 tonnes, thus losing 1 / 3 of its volume. The Rate of regression is also recorded at all 8 ports in the governorate it in fact induces a decrease in the sector’s production of around 30%. This constant gives proof to the need to preserve and reproduce the resources especially as the business offers large opportunities for sustainability of export and both direct and indirect jobs (shipyards, cold storage companies, conservation, processing and packaging of fishes, ).
5. SFAX: industrial development conducive to the emergence of innovation:
The industrial sector is an important sector for the regional economy of SFAX with the expansion of manufacturing SMEs providing jobs, draining investment and creating added value. The emergence of industry in SFAX in the sixties and the growth it experienced thereafter owe much to the pre-existence of a lively craft which promoted accumulation of aboriginal know-how.
The governorate of SFAX has 721 industrial enterprises providing many jobs. They occupy 39 257 assets. 179 of them are totally exporting and guaranteeing 43% of jobs in the sector.
The areas of predilection of these exporting companies are the textile and the clothing industry which outnumbered 122 (or 68.2%) followed distantly by the Agro-Food (27 companies whose share was only 15.1%) revealing a specialization and a sector-concentration of regional industrial fabric.
Companies in these two fully exporting sectors occupy 34.1% of industry assets and 79.3% of those under the totally exporter regime, thus reflecting concentrations of sector employment.
This concentration on the number of businesses and jobs by sector, are combined with a third form of concentration, it is that of space. Indeed the statistics collected indicate that the delegations of SFAX City, West SFAX, SFAX-South Sakiet Eddaier, Sakiet-Ezzit and Thyna attract 78.2% and 77.7% of respectively inn terms of businesses and jobs in the industrial sector, an attractiveness as strong on non-export sector as the export sector which is assessed in terms of number of businesses or jobs (79.2% and 75.4% respectively in terms of number of enterprises and 81% and 73.4% in relation to the job).
The attractiveness particularly exercised by the great SFAX is firstly due to the positive externalities resulting from the proximity of suppliers and industrial customers, the variety of services related to proximity and essential for their proper functioning and the infrastructure support. Secondly it is due to the availability of reception areas in industrial zones managed by the AFI (covering 188.8 ha) in which 376 companies located in 2007 and distributed as follows:
280 in pouderiere areas 1 and 2; 63 in that of Madagascar, 10 in El Maou 6 in Thyna, 9 in El Hencha and 8 in Jbéniana.
The remaining companies opted for sites scattered throughout the urban fabric. 73% of export companies, providing 34% of employment in the industrial sector, bearing the Tunisian nationality and 10% have the French nationality. France is the major trading partner of Tunisia (with participation in employment rate of about 11%) to which we can add 3% involving French partners associated with other nationalities.
It is possible to be optimistic about the ability of Tunisian companies to develop strategies to ensure better access to foreign market areas that will allow them to develop their export potential.
Due to the increasing openness of the national economy and the technological gap, business competitiveness can be limited and the aspirations towards internationalization might be slowed. The regional businesses like national ones have to face the challenge of innovation that makes them virtually defected so far.
In view of this quest for innovation they are increasingly opened to the academic and scientific research. Partnerships have already begun to develop and multiply in the interest of both partners, an incentive to conduct targeted research projects and recovery, the other seeking to exploit those who have already succeeded.
It should be noted, moreover, that industrial development in SFAX benefits from the independence of the undoubted contribution to the exploitation of fossil energy resources, namely oil significantly contributing to national production and natural gas from exploitation of offshore deposits supplying certain industrial and residential use.
6. SFAX: production of human potential and skills
The strategic challenge is to make SFAX a competitive Mediterranean metropolis, a city of innovation and high technology, based on its ability to produce human potential and skills.
With a population of a strong "youth", the University of SFAX, with 20 institutions and research centres, has the chance to show the challenge posed by the strategic vision that has been proposed. To improve its competitiveness, it has just to wisely include the knowledge and expertise existing for a significant technological advance, the stimulation of innovation through the effort of R & D and promotion of quality. The result in this area will combine learning and innovation accompanied by increased use of ICT by playing training systems and seeks a central role.
The university, welcoming into its various institutions 43 972 students during the academic year 2008/2009, offers training opportunities for the precious human capital (training and continuing education) in various fields: sciences, technology, social sciences, humanities, health sciences, engineering education...
Far from being ignored, that research, basic or applied, is developed in laboratories and research units related to various institutions.
The recovery of these results is a constant concern and is the conduit between the academic world and the business world (industrial and service provider taking advantage of new technologies).
However, positioning well forward, it is worth mentioning the two centres specifically dedicated: the Centre of Biotechnology of SFAX (CBS) and the “Olivier Institute”, whose activities are largely conducive to innovation. Their reputation goes beyond the local borders into dynamic centres of international renown.
Calling to strengthen a full integration in the knowledge economy, to promote further economic growth and employment in the region through training of talents and to contribute to the conquest of markets, Techno pole SFAX responds since its inception in 2003, and at one of its primary missions, i.e., create the event of innovation for stimulating cross-fertilization between research-oriented ICT applications, training bodies and productive fabric.
Progress has clearly been made by the State regarding the establishment of academic institutions, the Centre for Research in Computer Science, Multimedia and Digital Data Processing and organizations for technology transfer (Incubator and Technology Resource Centre) ,The management company of the science park established in early 2008, for its part is expected to make efforts to attract export companies specializing mainly in ICT .
7. SFAX: the importance of WORKFORCE:
The size of population, wealth and diversity of activities can not but result in the formation of a significant workforce, as in the region of SFAX. This is all the more remarkable that the population of working age represents the strong majority.
However, if this demographic boom population represents a potential opportunity for the regional economy, the fact remains that problems in employment do still exist.
Some of the indicators of labour market are particularly striking:
Witnessing in 2007 a rate of 49.2%, 2.5 points above the national average, SFAX confirms its reputation as a region whose workforce has not been afraid to work. As a result, the unemployment rate is relatively low, at 10% against 14.1% for the whole of Tunisia.
The statistics give a breakdown of jobs by economic sector in 2008 confirms a statement previously made in some studies. This demonstrates the continued erosion of the share of primary activities in the workforce for the benefit of the secondary sector in its manufacturing components and non-manufacturing and to a lesser extent the sector services
8. SFAX: Transport infrastructure as A support To the growth of international trade:
The access to new markets, more or less distant, is based on the allocation of space exporter in transport infrastructure to improve performance.
On a worldwide scale, the international transport of goods passes mainly by sea transport, whose share is about 80%, and in addition through the air.
Having enrolled in a double process of globalization and regionalization accentuating its economic openness, SFAX has sought to promote the improvement of its port and airport infrastructure.
The port of SFAX has over the centuries structured spatial organization of its area of influence while conditioning the operation of its productive apparatus.
This port connects SFAX to 40 destinations in five continents.
