Depression and anxiety cost around 12 billion working days a year worldwide. Tunisia’s occupational medicine inspectorate puts psychosocial risk at 840,000 deaths a year and losses of 1.37 percent of world output. ISO 45003 is the standard that turns workplace mental health into a risk an employer can assess, treat and evidence.

HealthCare Innovation is the HealthTech cluster based in Monastir, Tunisia. We publish this because the subject arrives at companies as a wellbeing initiative and leaves as an audit question.

What ISO 45003 actually is ?

ISO 45003 was published in June 2021  . It is the first international standard devoted to managing psychosocial risk at work.

It sits inside an occupational health and safety management system built on ISO 45001. It applies to organisations of every size and sector.

One point is widely misread. ISO 45003 is guidance, so a company cannot be certified against it. What a company can do is use it to structure a risk assessment that an auditor, a client or a court can follow.

That distinction is the whole value. It moves the subject from intention to method.

The size of the problem 

The World Health Organization sets out the global cost  . Around 12 billion working days are lost each year to depression and anxiety, at an estimated 1 trillion dollars in lost productivity.

The joint guidance is more recent than most workplace policies. WHO and the International Labour Organization published guidelines on mental health at work in September 2022 .

Those guidelines recommend manager training for the first time. They also cover organisational measures, worker training, individual support, return to work and access to employment.

Read that list closely. Four of the six recommendations act on how work is organised. Only one acts on the individual.

What Tunisia already says ?

The subject is on the Tunisian agenda at official level. The World Day for Safety and Health at Work on 28 April 2026 was marked in Tunisia under a slogan calling for a healthy psychological and social working environment .

Lotfi Mahjoub, director general of the inspectorate of occupational medicine and professional safety at the Ministry of Social Affairs, set out the framework on national radio. Health and safety at work is a constitutional right. Declaring an accident or an occupational disease falls first to the employer, with the national health insurance fund. The employee may declare it if the employer does not.

He also gave the compensation scale.

Now put those two facts side by side. The inspectorate placed psychosocial risk at the centre of 2026. The compensation scale opens at a measured incapacity of 5 percent.

A psychosocial injury rarely produces a rate at that level. The architecture is calibrated on physical impairment. This is our reading of two published facts rather than a legal opinion, and it should be checked with a lawyer before anyone relies on it.

The practical consequence is simple. Where compensation is hard to reach, prevention is the only mechanism that changes anything.

« An employer who waits for a psychosocial injury to be compensated will wait a long time. Prevention is not the generous option here. It is the only one that works. » Dr Haroun Ouanes, Director, HealthCare Innovation

Why the reporting chain reaches Tunisian companies

European sustainability reporting changed this year. The Omnibus directive, Directive (EU) 2026/470, was published in the Official Journal on 26 February 2026 and entered into force on 18 March 2026.

It narrows the scope. Reporting under the European sustainability standards now applies to entities above 1,000 employees and 450 million euros of net turnover. Listed medium and small companies leave the scope. Member States have until 19 March 2027 to transpose the changes.

Inside those standards, ESRS S1 covers a company’s own workforce and applies where that topic is material. Workers in the value chain fall under ESRS S2.

So fewer European companies report. That is where most commentary stops, and it misses what happens next.

Supplier questionnaires are a procurement instrument, not a legal one. A European client that still reports will keep asking its suppliers about working conditions, and a client that no longer reports often keeps the questionnaire it already built. A Tunisian exporter can therefore receive the question either way. This is a reading of how procurement behaves rather than a rule written anywhere.

Health and safety data is the part of that questionnaire a company can prepare in advance.

What an employer can put in place in ninety days ?

None of the following requires certification, a consultant or a licence.

• Name the hazards. Workload, deadlines, isolation, unclear roles, hostile behaviour. Write the list for your own company, not a generic one.
• Assess them like any other risk. Likelihood, severity, exposed population. Use the same register as physical risks, on the same page.
• Train the managers. WHO recommends it explicitly. A manager who recognises distress early changes the outcome more than any application.
• Fix the organisational causes you control. Shift patterns, notice periods, on-call rules, how work arrives. These are the four of six recommendations that act on the organisation.
• Record what you did and what changed. That record is the answer to a client questionnaire and the beginning of a real prevention programme.

Where digital tools help, and where they do not

Tools measure. They rarely repair. We set out five barriers to adoption in AI and workplace wellbeing  , and the first of them is trust.

A survey that reaches an employer without protecting the respondent produces silence rather than data. A tool sold to the employee adds to what households already pay directly, a trap we describe in Tunisia’s health financing gap .

The useful place for a digital tool is narrow and real. It can track exposure, run an anonymous assessment at scale, and hold the evidence trail. Prevention itself is a management decision.

That is also where an insurer becomes interested, because reduced absence shows up in claims. We look at that logic in Health insurance in the Maghreb .

Companies working on occupational health can reach us through Proovlab and the Community page

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is ISO 45003?

A: The first international standard on managing psychosocial risk at work, published in June 2021. It gives guidance inside an occupational health and safety system based on ISO 45001.

Q: Can a company be certified to ISO 45003?

A: No. It is a guidance standard. A company can be certified to ISO 45001 and use ISO 45003 to structure the psychosocial part of its risk assessment.

Q: What does poor workplace mental health cost?

A: Around 12 billion working days a year worldwide to depression and anxiety, at an estimated 1 trillion dollars in lost productivity, according to the World Health Organization.

Q: Does Tunisia compensate psychosocial injury?

A: The compensation scale opens at 5 percent measured incapacity, with a lump sum from 6 to 15 percent and a life annuity above that. Reaching that threshold for a psychosocial injury is difficult, which is our reading rather than a legal position.

Q: Does European reporting still affect Tunisian suppliers?

A: Fewer European companies report after Directive (EU) 2026/470. Supplier questionnaires come from procurement rather than from the directive, so the question can still arrive.

HCI Resources

Accelerating Innovation in HealthTech

Startup Programs 

Pharma & Medical Device Regulatory Services 

Experts Network 

Community Overview 

External Citations

International Organization for Standardization – ISO 45003:2021, psychological health and safety at work 

World Health Organization – mental health at work fact sheet 

World Health Organization and International Labour Organization – guidelines on mental health at work (2022) 

La Presse de Tunisie – occupational accidents, rights, figures and thresholds (2026) : 

Official Journal of the European Union – Directive (EU) 2026/470, sustainability omnibus 

L’article ISO 45003 and Workplace Mental Health: From Goodwill to a Managed Risk est apparu en premier sur HealthCare Innovation.

Tunisian private health insurance collected 400 million dinars in the first half of 2026, up 16.9 percent. It paid out 293.7 million over the same period. Health is now the fastest growing branch after life. This article asks what health insurance in the Maghreb would actually buy from a digital health company.

HealthCare Innovation is the HealthTech cluster based in Monastir, Tunisia. We publish this because founders pitch patients and ministries, and skip the payer sitting between them.

What the Tunisian numbers show

The figures come from the General Insurance Committee, relayed on 31 August 2026  . Direct insurance revenue reached 2,529.2 million dinars for the half year, up 13 percent.

Health sits third by size and second by growth. Now read the other side of the ledger. Claims paid on health reached 293.7 million dinars, up 16.4 percent.

Divide one by the other. The branch returns around 73 dinars in claims for every 100 dinars of premium. That division is our own arithmetic on two published figures, and the committee publishes no such ratio.

Two things follow. The branch is profitable enough to keep growing. It is also indexed on the cost of care, because premiums and claims rose within half a point of each other.

An insurer in that position has three options. Raise premiums, reimburse less, or reduce the volume of care claimed. Only the third option leaves the customer better off.

Coverage is rising across the Maghreb

Morocco moved faster than its neighbours. The generalisation of mandatory health insurance reached more than 32 million beneficiaries in 2025 →  . That is 88 percent of the population, against 42 percent before the reform.

The Moroccan figure breaks down into schemes. The Tadamon scheme covers close to 11 million people, the scheme for self-employed workers around 4 million, and a voluntary scheme registers 313,000 more.

Morocco is also revising its national reference tariff and making therapeutic protocols enforceable. Those two files decide what a payer reimburses and at what price. They matter more to a digital health company than any coverage headline.

Coverage and financial protection remain different questions. Tunisian households still pay between 38 and 40 percent of health spending directly, depending on the source and the year. We treat that figure in Tunisia’s health financing gap .

Prevention is the only lever an insurer controls

The Tunisian Federation of Insurance Companies has taken a public position on this. Its president, Mondher Khabcheche, argued in April 2026 that private cover should act as a partner to the public scheme .« Private insurance should not be a luxury. It should be a regulator, a partner able to support the public scheme within a logic of lasting balance and universal health coverage. » Mondher Khabcheche, President, Tunisian Federation of Insurance Companies

The federation puts the household share at 40 percent, against 24.3 percent in 2016 and 12 percent in 2005. It places the international reference between 10 and 15 percent.

The driver is chronic disease. The federation attributes 82 percent of Tunisian deaths to noncommunicable diseases. Cardiovascular conditions alone account for more than 30 percent. One Tunisian in three has hypertension and one in six has diabetes. World Health Organization country data puts the noncommunicable share nearer 86 percent. Treat both as an order of magnitude.

The federation also relays return on investment ratios for prevention.

These ratios are relayed by the federation rather than taken from a document we consulted line by line. The underlying framework is public. The World Health Assembly adopted an expanded list of 28 best buy interventions in May 2023. WHO publishes them as best buys   .

Prevention is where the insurer and the digital health company want the same outcome. Both gain when a complication does not happen.

Where the InsurTech money is going

Capital for this sector is being organised at continental level. FSD Africa announced a pan-African venture fund of 25 to 30 million dollars on 26 November 2025  . It targets early stage insurance startups, with health named among its three priorities.

The accelerator behind it has scale. BimaLab reports more than 135 startups supported in 28 African countries since 2020. It counts 150 insurance solutions reaching over 6 million customers. It has worked with 15 regulators on 7 regulatory sandboxes.

The announcement names 28 countries without listing them. We could not establish from public sources whether Tunisian companies have taken part. That is a limit of what is published, not a finding about the sector.

Insurance penetration stays below 3 percent across most of Africa. A market at that level grows by reaching new customers rather than by taking share.

What an insurer would actually buy

A pitch that promises better health will lose. A pitch that names a claims line will get a meeting. Four conditions decide the outcome.

• A named population. Not all policyholders. The diabetic members of one corporate scheme, counted.
• A measured baseline. What that group costs the insurer today, in claims, over twelve months.
• An agreed endpoint. Fewer hospital admissions, fewer repeat tests, better treatment adherence. One number, agreed before the pilot starts.
• A contract that shares the result. Payment linked to the measured effect rather than to the number of licences.

Those four items are also what a public scheme needs. The reimbursement pathways that exist elsewhere are built on the same evidence, as we show in Who pays for digital therapeutics  .

One technical condition sits underneath all of it. Measuring a baseline means reading claims and clinical data in a usable form.

That is an interoperability question, treated in FHIR, Sahetna.tn and the interoperability gap  .

Companies working on this can start with our Startup programmes . Insurers and mutual funds can reach the cluster through the Community page 

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How large is private health insurance in Tunisia?

A: Premiums reached 400 million dinars in the first half of 2026, up 16.9 percent, according to General Insurance Committee figures. It is the second fastest growing branch after life.

Q: How much does that branch pay out?

A: Claims on health reached 293.7 million dinars over the same six months. That is around 73 dinars paid for every 100 collected, on our own calculation from the two published figures.

Q: How does Moroccan coverage compare?

A: Morocco reports 88 percent of the population covered in 2025, against 42 percent before generalisation. Tunisia reports 81 percent at the 2024 census.

Q: Why should an insurer buy a digital health tool?

A: Because premiums and claims are rising at almost the same rate. Reducing the volume of care claimed is the only lever that leaves the customer better off.

Q: What makes a pitch to an insurer credible?

A: A named population, a measured baseline in claims, one agreed endpoint, and a contract that pays on the measured effect.

HCI Resources

Accelerating Innovation in HealthTech 

Startup Programs 

Pharma & Medical Device Regulatory Services 

Experts Network 

Community Overview 

External Citations

La Presse de Tunisie – insurance sector indicators, first half 2026 

Web Manager Center – Tunisian Federation of Insurance Companies on private cover and the public scheme (2026) 

Portail national du Maroc – generalisation of mandatory health insurance (2025) 

World Health Organization – Tackling NCDs, best buys and other recommended interventions, 2nd edition (2024) 

World Health Organization – expanded list of NCD best buys adopted by the World Health Assembly (2023) 

FSD Africa – Inclusive Insurtech Investment Fund (2025) 

L’article Health Insurance in the Maghreb: The Payer Nobody Pitches est apparu en premier sur HealthCare Innovation.

Employers, occupational physicians and HR professionals mapped five barriers to AI adoption in Tunisian organisations. Governance, skills, data quality, change management, ethics and trust. HealthCare Innovation reported the outcome on 8 July 2026, after its second strategic dialogue with the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung.

HealthCare Innovation is the HealthTech cluster based in Monastir, Tunisia. The Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung is a German political foundation with an office in Tunis. It works on policy dialogue and economic development.

Why a HealthTech cluster runs a dialogue on HR

The dialogue belongs to a wider project. HCI and KAS signed a partnership in June 2026. It covers four strategic dialogues and one study, under the title Co-Creating a Resilient and Integrated Health Ecosystem in Tunisia. The first dialogue covered One Health and digital tools. We describe it in HCI and Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung open a national dialogue .

The second one moved the subject inside the firm. The room held employers, experts, public bodies, HR and QHSE staff, works doctors, innovators and startups. That mix is the point. Works doctors and HR rarely sit at the same table as tool vendors.

The question on the table was narrow. How can AI and digital tools help a firm prevent, measure and manage well-being at work, mental health and lasting performance?

What the keynotes set up

Hamadi Chellouf and Saidi Bouzidi opened the day. They covered three subjects. How the HR function goes digital. Whether a firm is ready for AI. And what a responsible use of the tools requires.

Their framing shaped the rest of the day. An organisation does not adopt AI because it buys a tool. It adopts AI when its culture, its data and its management practices can absorb one.

The panel asked the uncomfortable questions

The keynote panel was led entirely by women. Meriam Ben Boubaker moderated, with Mounira Bouzouita, Dr Aida Lamloum and Dr Oumaima Laifa. Between them they brought the employer view, occupational health, research and innovation.

The panel put three questions to the room.

• Are organisations ready to adopt AI responsibly?
• How do we stop AI from reinforcing bias, workplace pressure or inequality?
• How do we build AI that serves people, prevention, trust and sustainable performance?

One conclusion carried the session. What decides AI adoption is the state of the firm, not the state of the tool. Culture, governance, skills, data, the habit of listening, and honest leadership.

The five barriers, and what each one means

The working groups produced the most useful output of the day. Five barriers block AI inside a firm. The groups named the five. The second column below is our own reading of what each one looks like on the ground.

The groups also drew up advice to help HR teams get ready. People, prevention and lasting performance stay at the centre.

All five barriers sit inside the firm. A better vendor solves none of them.

What the startups showed

Two Tunisian startups presented solutions at the event. WejdenSpire works on workplace mental health and well-being. NormSafety works on occupational health and safety compliance.

Their presence answered a common objection. Employers often say no local tool exists. Two of them were in the room.

Why this matters beyond the day

The World Health Organization puts a number on the problem. Depression and anxiety cost 12 billion working days every year worldwide. The bill reaches around one trillion US dollars a year in lost productivity.

Europe is moving on the same file. The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work runs a campaign on mental health at work from 2026 to 2028  . The agency reports that 37 percent of European workers feel general fatigue. Another 29 percent report stress, depression or anxiety.

That matters for Tunisian suppliers. European buyers who report on working conditions will ask the same of their subcontractors. Most will use ISO 45003:2021 as the yardstick. It is the only global standard on the subject. We set out what it requires in ISO 45003 and the new rules of workplace mental health  .

HCI holds one position on this. Well-being at work drives governance, resilience, hiring and long-term value. It is a board subject, not a perk.

Two more dialogues remain in the series, along with the study. Companies that want to take part can reach the cluster through our Community page  . Employers looking for a diagnostic can start with our Services .

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What were the five barriers to AI adoption identified?

A: Governance, skills and talent, data quality, change management, and ethics and trust. All five sit in the firm, not in the tool.

Q: Who took part in the dialogue?

A: Employers, experts, public bodies, HR and QHSE staff, works doctors, innovators and startups. Hamadi Chellouf and Saidi Bouzidi gave the keynotes. Meriam Ben Boubaker led a panel with Mounira Bouzouita, Dr Aida Lamloum and Dr Oumaima Laifa.

Q: What is the HCI and KAS project?

A: HealthCare Innovation and the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung signed a partnership in June 2026. It covers four strategic dialogues and one study on a resilient and integrated health ecosystem in Tunisia. This was the second dialogue.

Q: Why does mental health at work concern Tunisian companies now?

A: The European agency for safety and health at work runs a campaign on the subject from 2026 to 2028. European buyers who report on working conditions pass those requirements to their suppliers.

Q: How can a company join the next dialogue?

A: Contact HealthCare Innovation through the community page of the cluster website.

HCI Resources

Accelerating Innovation in HealthTech 

Startup Programs 

Pharma & Medical Device Regulatory Services 

Experts Network 

Community Overview 

External Citations

World Health Organization – Mental health at work (2024) 

EU-OSHA – Healthy Workplaces Campaign 2026-2028, Together for mental health at work 

EU-OSHA – Psychosocial risks and mental health at work 

ISO – ISO 45003:2021, psychological health and safety at work 

Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung – Tunisia office 

L’article AI and workplace well-being: Inside the Second HCI and KAS Strategic Dialogue est apparu en premier sur HealthCare Innovation.

HealthCare Innovation and the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung signed a partnership in June 2026. It covers four strategic dialogues and one in-depth study, under the title Co-Creating a Resilient and Integrated Health Ecosystem in Tunisia. The first dialogue, reported on 25 June 2026, addressed digital tools and AI for a One Health approach.

HealthCare Innovation is the HealthTech cluster based in Monastir, Tunisia. The Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung is a German political foundation with an office in Tunis.

What the two organisations agreed to do

The partnership has a narrow object. HCI and KAS co-organise strategic dialogues and produce studies. One question runs through them. How do health, technology and innovation work together to drive economic growth?

The method counts as much as the subject. Each dialogue puts public bodies, firms, academics and innovators in one room. Each one produces a written output. Four dialogues and one study in all.

That format answers a gap. Tunisia has no standing forum on this subject. A ministry official, a hospital director, a startup founder and a researcher rarely read the same file at the same time.

The first dialogue: One Health, digital tools and AI

The opening dialogue took the title Digital Tools and AI to Support an Inclusive and Multi-Stakeholder One Health Approach.

Participants worked on four functions, not on technology in general. Prevention, surveillance, early detection, and response to complex health threats. For each one they asked the same question. What do digital tools, AI, data and cross-sector work actually add?

The room held public bodies, firms, academics, innovators and healthcare leaders. HCI named several of them. Dr Faten Khemaissia, Mohamed Azaouzi, Wissem Bahrouni, Nour Souabni, Kaouther Boussema, Imen Nefzi, Chihebeddine Romdhani, Asma Saidouni, Alla El-Awaisi, Sarra Ben Ayed and Fatma Tritar. Michael Bauer represented the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung.

« One Health cannot be delivered by the health sector alone. Our role as a cluster is to put veterinary services, environmental agencies, clinicians and technology teams around one table, and to make sure something is written down at the end. » Dr Haroun Ouanes, Director, HealthCare Innovation

Why One Health, and why now

One Health treats human, animal, plant and environmental health as one system. The idea is not Tunisian. Four international bodies published a joint plan of action on it in 2022  . They are the Food and Agriculture Organization, the United Nations Environment Programme, the World Health Organization and the World Organisation for Animal Health.

The plan runs on six action tracks.

The timing matters. On 14 August 2026 the four bodies extended the plan to 2029  . A country that builds capacity now builds it against a frame that will still hold in three years.

What is at stake for Tunisia

Two pressures meet here. Noncommunicable diseases cause around 86 percent of deaths in Tunisia . Those need long follow-up and shared data. Zoonotic and vector-borne risks need watch across veterinary, environmental and human health services. Those services rarely share systems.

Both problems share a root. The data exists but sits in separate hands. That is a question of interoperability before it is one of technology. We treat it on its own in FHIR, Sahetna.tn and the interoperability gap .

HCI holds a clear position. Put together, One Health, digital workflows, innovation and multi-actor work form a strategic lever. The aim is a Tunisian model that is resilient, scalable and open to the world.

What comes next

Three dialogues and the study remain. The second one moved the subject inside the company, and we cover it in AI and workplace well-being 

Bodies and firms that want to join a later session can reach the cluster through the Community page . Those looking for support on health data governance can start with our Services  .

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the HCI and KAS project?

A: A partnership signed in June 2026. It covers four strategic dialogues and one in-depth study, under the title Co-Creating a Resilient and Integrated Health Ecosystem in Tunisia. It looks at health, technology and innovation as a driver of economic growth.

Q: What was the first dialogue about?

A: Digital tools and artificial intelligence supporting an inclusive and multi-stakeholder One Health approach, applied to prevention, surveillance, early detection and response.

Q: What does One Health mean?

A: It treats human, animal, plant and environmental health as one system. Four international bodies, FAO, UNEP, WHO and WOAH, run a joint plan of action on it. They extended it in August 2026 to run until 2029.

Q: Who took part?

A: Public institutions, private sector actors, academics, innovators and healthcare leaders. Michael Bauer represented the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung.

Q: How many dialogues remain?

A: Three, plus the study. The second one, on AI and workplace well-being, was reported in July 2026.

HCI Resources

Accelerating Innovation in HealthTech 

Startup Programs 

Pharma & Medical Device Regulatory Services 

Experts Network 

Community Overview 

External Citations

World Health Organization, FAO, UNEP, WOAH – One Health Joint Plan of Action 2022-2026 

World Health Organization – Quadripartite extends the One Health Joint Plan of Action to 2029 (2026) 

World Health Organization – Tunisia country data 

Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung – Tunisia office 

L’article HCI and Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Open a National Dialogue on One Health in Tunisia est apparu en premier sur HealthCare Innovation.

E-HealthNAx opened in Tunis on 25 March 2026. HealthCare Innovation gathered more than 80 participants and a delegation of 14 French and Polish HealthTech companies. Over 100 matchmaking meetings took place during the five-day mission, which ran from 24 to 28 March across Tunis and Monastir.

HealthCare Innovation is the HealthTech cluster based in Monastir, Tunisia. E-HealthNAx links the Tunisian digital health ecosystem with its French and Polish counterparts. It also gives European medical technology firms a first structured route into North Africa.

Who funds E-HealthNAx and who runs it

Three clusters implement the programme. HealthCare Innovation leads in Tunisia, BioValley France  in France, and MedSilesia leads in Poland. Proovlab , Business France and the CQE project of GIZ Tunisia  support the delivery.

The European Union funds the programme through Euromed Clusters Forward  . ANIMA Investment Network leads it with Berytech  . The programme runs until 2026 on a budget of 7.8 million euros. The European Union covers up to 90 percent of it. It reaches 81 clusters in seven southern Mediterranean countries.

A second channel supports the export side. The action belongs to EXPORTI, under the PACE-AMIT programme of the CQE project. GIZ Tunisia delivers it with the Tunisian Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy. The European Union in Tunisia and the German ministry for economic cooperation, known as BMZ, fund it.

Which companies came, and from where

Five Polish medical technology firms travelled to Tunis. They were Accrea Medical Robotics, Meden-Inmed  , Orthoget  , Technomex and Zarys  . MedSilesia coordinated the group. It worked with the Upper Silesian Accelerator, known as GAPR .

The French group came through BioValley France, the health cluster based in Strasbourg. It included InSimo  , which builds surgical simulation software, and Praxy.ai .

On the Tunisian side, the room held health authorities, public bodies, non-governmental organisations, drug and device makers, digital health startups and sector experts.

What the Polish embassy said

Agata Wadowska, Chargee d’affaires a.i. of the Embassy of Poland in Tunis , opened the session. She set out how economic diplomacy supports Polish firms abroad. New technologies, biotechnology included, are a stated priority of the Polish government and of European institutions.

She then placed the two countries side by side. Poland ranks sixth in the Digital Decade eHealth Indicator Study 2025. That puts it among the most advanced European countries in health system digitisation. Tunisia holds a similar position in its own region. The embassy said it expects this first meeting to produce lasting partnerships.

That framing matters for a Tunisian cluster. It positions the country as a peer rather than a destination market.

What the day produced

The day ran in four blocks. An institutional session opened it. Then came an exchange on digital health priorities in Tunisia, expert talks, and pitches from the European firms. B2B meetings filled the rest of the day.

More than 100 matchmaking meetings were held. The mission then moved to Monastir on 26 March. French startups spent a day there with clinicians and researchers at the Faculty of Medicine. We cover that day in Digital Health Innovation Day in Monastir

For the European firms, the week worked as a soft landing. They met distributors, clinicians, regulators and possible partners in five days. That first step usually takes a year.

What we take from it

Dr Haroun Ouanes, Director of HealthCare Innovation, summed up the outcome. “E-HealthNAx confirms Tunisia’s ability to connect European innovation with the real needs of the Tunisian and North African markets, and to open new horizons for collaboration.”

Three conclusions stand out.

• Regulatory readiness decides who converts. Firms who arrived with a compliance file moved faster than firms who arrived with a demo alone. We set out what that file requires in Software as a Medical Device: Tunisia’s regulatory blind spot 
• Traffic runs both ways. Two weeks earlier, four Tunisian startups took Tunisian innovation to Paris. WejdenSpire, ProovLab, NormSafety and MedGalaxis attended the MedInTechs congress on 9, 10 and 11 March 2026.
• Embassies open doors a cluster cannot open alone. The Polish group came through a channel built by the embassy and an accelerator.

HealthCare Innovation will use the same route for the next groups. Firms preparing a North African market entry can start with our Clusters and incubators services 

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is E-HealthNAx?

A: E-HealthNAx is a Euro-Mediterranean programme. It links digital health and medical technology ecosystems in Tunisia, France and Poland. HealthCare Innovation, BioValley France and MedSilesia run it. The European Union funds it under Euromed Clusters Forward.

Q: When and where did the 2026 mission take place?

A: The mission ran from 24 to 28 March 2026 in Tunis and Monastir. The official launch day was held in Tunis on 25 March 2026.

Q: Which European companies took part?

A: Fourteen startups and firms from France and Poland joined the group. Five Polish makers are named in the press: Accrea Medical Robotics, Meden-Inmed, Orthoget, Technomex and Zarys. InSimo and Praxy.ai took part on the French side.

Q: How many business meetings were held?

A: More than 100 matchmaking meetings were facilitated during the mission.

Q: How can a company join the next edition?

A: European firms apply through their national cluster. Tunisian firms can contact HealthCare Innovation through the services page.

HCI Resources

Accelerating Innovation in HealthTech 

Startup Programs 

Pharma & Medical Device Regulatory Services 

Experts Network 

Community Overview 

Projects 

External Citations

La Presse de Tunisie – E-HealthNAx 2026 : la Tunisie confirme son role de passerelle pour la sante digitale euro-mediterraneenne (2026) 

Managers – Cinq entreprises polonaises prospectent le marche tunisien de la healthtech (2026) 

Entreprises Magazine – MedTech : la Pologne et la France lorgnent la Tunisie (2026) 

ANIMA Investment Network – Euromed Clusters Forward 

Berytech – Euromed Clusters Forward programme page 

L’article HealthCare Innovation Opens E-HealthNAx With 14 European HealthTech Startups in Tunis est apparu en premier sur HealthCare Innovation.

HealthCare Innovation (HCI) proudly announces the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Arab Information and Communication Technologies Organization (AICTO), marking a major milestone in regional digital health collaboration.

This strategic agreement establishes a framework for joint action in Responsible Artificial Intelligence, health data governance, digital infrastructure, and HealthTech regional expansion. It reflects a shared commitment to building sovereign, interoperable, and innovation-driven digital health ecosystems across the Arab region.

We extend our sincere appreciation to H.E. Eng. Mohamed Benamor, Director General of AICTO, for his trust and shared vision.

Why This Partnership Matters

Healthcare systems globally are undergoing accelerated digital transformation. The WHO Global Strategy on Digital Health (2020–2025) emphasizes governance, interoperability, and ethical AI frameworks as pillars of safe and equitable digital health systems. The OECD similarly highlights that data governance and cross-border interoperability are critical for scaling innovation.

The HCI–AICTO MOU directly addresses these priorities within the Arab region.

Partnership Overview

• Signatories: HealthCare Innovation (HCI) and Arab Information and Communication Technologies Organization (AICTO)
• Nature of Agreement: Strategic Memorandum of Understanding
• Core Areas: Responsible AI in Health, Health Data Governance, Digital Infrastructure & Interoperability, Startup Regional Expansion
• Geographical Scope: Arab region and Euro-Med innovation ecosystem

Strategic Impact for Tunisia & the Arab Region

• Strengthening Tunisia’s positioning as a regional HealthTech hub
• Advancing Responsible AI governance in healthcare systems
• Supporting sovereign and secure health data infrastructures
• Facilitating cross-border HealthTech market access
• Encouraging harmonization of digital health standards across the region

Next Steps

The partnership will move toward operationalization through joint working groups, regional expert forums, pilot interoperability initiatives, and structured startup soft-landing mechanisms across Arab markets.

HCI Resources

Accelerating Innovation in HealthTech 
Startup Programs 
Pharma & Medical Device Regulatory Services 
Experts Network 
Community Overview 

External References

WHO — Global Strategy on Digital Health (2020–2025)
OECD — Digital Health Overview
AICTO — Official Website

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Step into the Innovation Galaxy and explore Patient Care Pathways across six targeted therapeutic areas, powered by innovative digital applications designed to create a personalized and fully digital patient journey.

Through immersive and tactile experiences, participants will discover how technology transforms every stage of care — from diagnosis to treatment, follow-up, and patient engagement — enabling smarter coordination and better health outcomes.

Event Details

• Date: February 14, 2026
• Location: Hotel Sol Azur Hammamet, Tunisia
• Format: Immersive digital health experience and interactive innovation showcase
• Focus: Patient Care Pathways across six targeted therapeutic areas

Why Patient Care Pathways Matter

The transformation of healthcare increasingly depends on integrated digital solutions capable of coordinating care across multiple stages of the patient journey. The WHO Global Strategy on Digital Health (2020–2025) highlights the importance of interoperable systems, governance frameworks, and patient-centered innovation. Similarly, the OECD underscores that digital health solutions must enhance continuity of care and improve health system efficiency.

Innovation Galaxy places Patient Care Pathways at the center of digital transformation, emphasizing personalized medicine, interoperability, and measurable health impact.

What Participants Will Experience

• Interactive demonstrations of digital applications across diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up
• Real-world use cases illustrating personalized and data-driven care models
• Integrated digital solutions improving patient engagement and coordination
• Cross-sector collaboration between academia, startups, and innovation leaders

Collaborative Ecosystem

Innovation Galaxy brings together HealthCare Innovation, GFI University, Enactus Pharmacy, and Connway Academy to create a dynamic innovation environment bridging education, entrepreneurship, and applied digital health transformation.

Strategic Impact for Tunisia

• Advancing digital Patient Care Pathways in Tunisia
• Strengthening collaboration between universities and HealthTech startups
• Promoting personalized and interoperable digital health ecosystems
• Positioning Tunisia as a regional hub for immersive healthcare innovation

HCI Resources

Accelerating Innovation in HealthTech 
Startup Programs
Pharma & Medical Device Regulatory Services 
Experts Network 
Community Overview 

External Citations

WHO — Global Strategy on Digital Health (2020–2025): 

OECD — Digital Health Overview

Join us in Hammamet on February 14, 2026 and explore the future of Patient Care Pathways. 

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We are proud to announce the signing of a partnership agreement between BiotechPole Sidi Thabet and HealthCare Innovation (HCI), with a clear priority: accelerating Digital Health in Tunisia.

This collaboration aims to strengthen the national innovation ecosystem by building structured digital health and biotech pipelines, connecting startups with healthcare stakeholders, and enhancing joint capacity to respond to national and international funding opportunities.

Why This Partnership Matters

Digital health transformation requires strong coordination between research hubs, innovation clusters, and industry actors. The WHO Global Strategy on Digital Health (2020–2025) emphasizes ecosystem collaboration, governance, and interoperability as foundational pillars for effective health system modernization. The OECD similarly highlights that innovation ecosystems must connect research, startups, and industry to scale impactful solutions.

This partnership aligns with these priorities by creating structured collaboration between Tunisia’s biotech infrastructure and HealthTech innovation ecosystem.

Joint Program Objectives

• Launch a joint Digital Health & biotech project pipeline, including proposal development and coordinated responses to national and international calls.
• Organize co-branded ecosystem events such as workshops, conferences, and seminars connecting startups with healthcare and industry stakeholders.
• Provide joint support for startups and SMEs through advisory services, partnership structuring, and ecosystem access.

Strategic Impact for Tunisia

• Strengthening Tunisia’s Digital Health and biotech project pipeline readiness
• Enhancing startup access to structured advisory and partnership frameworks
• Increasing participation in national and international innovation calls
• Building stronger bridges between research, industry, and entrepreneurship ecosystems
• Positioning Tunisia as a competitive hub for HealthTech and biotech collaboration

Next Steps

Following this agreement, both institutions will begin structuring joint working groups, mapping project opportunities, and launching coordinated ecosystem events to accelerate tangible impact across Digital Health and biotech domains.

HCI Resources

Accelerating Innovation in HealthTech 
Startup Programs
Pharma & Medical Device Regulatory Services 
Experts Network 
Community Overview 

External Citations

WHO — Global Strategy on Digital Health (2020–2025)
OECD — Digital Health Overview

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HealthCare Innovation is proud to announce the signing of a partnership agreement with GFI Group — bringing together Polytech Sousse and connway academy — to strengthen HealthTech innovation and advanced IT expertise in Tunisia and beyond.

By bridging digital health innovation with cutting-edge IT capabilities, this collaboration reinforces a shared commitment to building scalable, secure, and impactful e-health solutions while positioning Tunisia as a competitive hub for HealthTech development.

Why This Partnership Matters

The evolution of digital health increasingly depends on strong integration between healthcare expertise and advanced information technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, and Business Intelligence. The WHO Global Strategy on Digital Health (2020–2025) emphasizes interoperability, data governance, and innovation capacity as pillars of modern health systems. The OECD likewise highlights that digital transformation in healthcare requires robust IT infrastructure and talent development.

This partnership directly addresses these priorities by connecting HealthTech innovation with specialized IT education and applied research capabilities.

Collaboration Objectives

• Accelerate innovation in digital health and e-health solutions through structured joint initiatives.
• Integrate advanced IT expertise in Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, and Business Intelligence into HealthTech projects.
• Support talent development and applied research for national and international innovation initiatives.

Strategic Impact for Tunisia

• Strengthening the integration of IT excellence into HealthTech ecosystems.
• Enhancing cybersecurity and data protection standards within digital health solutions.
• Expanding applied research collaboration between education institutions and innovation clusters.
• Supporting scalable HealthTech solutions ready for regional and international deployment.
• Positioning Tunisia as a competitive and secure hub for digital health innovation.

Next Steps

The partnership will move toward operationalization through joint programs, collaborative workshops, innovation challenges, and coordinated participation in national and international calls for projects. Both institutions aim to translate this strategic alignment into measurable impact across education, technology, and healthcare.

HCI Resources

Accelerating Innovation in HealthTech 
Startup Programs
Pharma & Medical Device Regulatory Services 
Experts Network 
Community Overview 

External Citations

WHO — Global Strategy on Digital Health (2020–2025)
OECD — Digital Health Overview

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HealthCare Innovation is proud to announce the signature of a strategic partnership agreement with DataXion, marking an important step in strengthening secure and compliant health data infrastructure for the HealthTech ecosystem.

As part of this collaboration, HealthCare Innovation organized an immersive visit for our community of HealthTech startups and project leaders at DataXion’s data center, reinforcing practical understanding of secure hosting environments and regulatory compliance requirements.

Immersive Visit & Technical Program

• A guided tour of DataXion’s data center infrastructure
• A dedicated workshop on health data hosting, compliance, and data sovereignty
• Open discussions and Q&A sessions addressing real-world data challenges faced by HealthTech entrepreneurs

Shared Strategic Objective

The partnership aims to enable HealthTech startups to access secure, compliant, and sovereign cloud and data center environments from the earliest stages of development, fully aligned with health data regulatory requirements.

By embedding compliance and cybersecurity foundations early in the innovation lifecycle, the collaboration contributes to building credible, investment-ready, and scalable digital health solutions.

Why Secure Health Data Infrastructure Matters

The WHO Global Strategy on Digital Health (2020–2025) emphasizes strong governance, cybersecurity, and data protection as essential pillars for trusted digital health systems. The OECD likewise highlights that secure data infrastructure and regulatory compliance are prerequisites for scaling AI-driven and digital health solutions.

Through this partnership, HealthCare Innovation and DataXion are reinforcing Tunisia’s readiness to support market-ready HealthTech solutions capable of scaling locally and internationally.

Strategic Impact for Tunisia

• Strengthening secure and sovereign health data hosting capacity
• Enhancing compliance and regulatory readiness for HealthTech startups
• Improving cybersecurity awareness within the digital health ecosystem
• Supporting scalable cloud and AI-driven healthcare innovation
• Positioning Tunisia as a trusted hub for secure HealthTech infrastructure

HCI Resources

Accelerating Innovation in HealthTech 
Startup Programs
Pharma & Medical Device Regulatory Services 
Experts Network 
Community Overview 

External Citations

WHO — Global Strategy on Digital Health (2020–2025)
OECD — Digital Health Overview: 

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