To unlock the commercial value of Tunisia’s advanced scientific research. Bio & Tech is a dedicated 12-month incubation program for PhD students and recent graduates in medical and biological sciences. Its mission is to solve a critical ecosystem gap: PhDs in the Sahel region (Monastir, Sousse, Mahdia, and Kairouan) publish world-class research and patents but lack the pathways to transform them into viable, marketable products. The program bridges the gap between science faculties and the engineering/IT schools needed for prototyping, business modeling, and market access.

Program in Action The program uses a “learning by doing” and LEAN startup methodology to guide entrepreneurs from patent to product. It provides intensive capacity building in business development, prototyping, testing, B2B partnerships, and regulatory/certification pathways.

All activities are centralized at a single physical Hub at the Cyberparc de Monastir, creating a carrefour for synergies between scientific researchers and experts from engineering and IT institutes. The 12-month program is highly competitive, filtering 12 pre-selected projects down to 6 finalists, with the 3 final laureates receiving 10,000 DT grants (in voucher form) to accelerate their prototyping and market access.

Flagship Initiatives & Ventures The program is designed to incubate 12 entrepreneurs annually, drawn from the region’s 10+ medical, biological, and agro-food institutions. The target for each cohort is to successfully launch 6 new startups, with 4 achieving the national “Startup Label” and 2 raising an estimated 200,000 DT in early-stage funding, creating 12 new high-skilled jobs. The program focuses specifically on ventures in BioTech, HealthTech, and FoodTech.

Ecosystem & Key Partners The program is implemented by Association Jeunes Leaders as part of a deep, multi-sectoral alliance.

Key partners include:

• Academic Partners: Faculty of Medicine of Monastir, the Ecole Nationale d’Ingénieurs de Monastir (ENIM), and Ecole Nationale d’Ingénieurs de Sousse.
• Ecosystem & Public Support: The program connects its cohort to 8 public support structures and the wider network of regional coworking spaces, including Hive 12 and We Start.
• Acceleration Partners: The program actively prepares its graduates to enter national acceleration programs, such as Connectinnov.