In almost all of the country’s general directorates, AI now has its place in the discourse. It is promised as the next engine of competitiveness, innovation, and growth. Yet, when one leaves the presentations to enter the workshops, offices, and production lines, the landscape changes markedly.
The real issue is not the technology itself, which can be bought, rented, or downloaded. It lies in what the company is capable of doing with it by understanding what it brings, integrating it into its working habits, and then extracting value. In economics, this is called absorptive capacity, and it is what separates firms that advance from those that merely equip themselves without progressing.
This is the thesis developed in Analytical Note No. 78 of the Tunisian Institute for Competitiveness and Quantitative Studies (ITCEQ). It rests on the first national survey on the knowledge economy, which covered 1,208 companies engaged in digitization or decided to undertake it.
The gap between intention and action
The most telling figure of the study is expressed in two numbers. According to the survey, 86% of companies believe that new technologies stimulate innovation, but only 19% report that they have actually innovated. And barely 11% have tapped into public incentives for research and development.
Among other things, the conviction is strong, the move to action much less so. The tools are there, but they do not transform enough into new products, improved processes, or measurable performance gains.
A well-stocked digital showcase
The early steps of digitalization, however, have been taken. Nearly 76.2% of private companies have a website or homepage, 72.5% have basic management tools such as an ERP or accounting software, and 60% use collaborative platforms.
When we look inside the company, the picture becomes more contrasted. Administrative management is digitized at 66%, production and sales at 62%, human resources at 55%. The information system, the backbone of any AI ambition, tops out at 43%. Digitalization has taken root mainly where it is visible, far less where it structures.
Knowledge flows between companies
