The 16th International Electrical and Electronic Industries Exhibition "SIEL expo" will be held March 1-4 in the Tunisia Expo Centre, with the participation of 90 Tunisian and foreign exhibitors operating in electricity production and Energy, equipment and materials, cables and accessories and automation systems.

In preparation for this exhibition, a conference was organised Friday in Tunis by Sogefoires, CONECT and the Foreign Investment Promotion Agency (FIPA).

This event is an opportunity for the Mechanical, Electrical and Electronic Industries (French: IMEE) sector which has a strong potential for export and employability, said Deputy Director of Communication and edition within FIPA Boutheina Zeghidi.

There are over 1,000 enterprises in the sector, including 606 foreign-invested enterprises, with more than 230,000 jobs.

She added that FIPA which bets on this sector, the agri-food industry and the automotive industry to promote exports, will participate in specialised sectoral trade shows both in Tunisia and abroad to showcase these sectors' performance and strengths.

CONECT International Vice-President Adnene Bouassida said that "SIEL 2017" will be marked by the presence of a large African delegation composed of decision-makers and influential operators in the energy sector.

"Tunisia intends to make its partners in Africa benefit of its expertise in the field of electrification and energy, with a view to concluding co-operation and partnership agreements," he pointed out.

According to him, the African Continent in which many countries are still behind in electrification (only 42% of Africans have access to electricity), is a market full of opportunities for Tunisia.

Still, more than half of African countries have an electrification rate of less than 20%, hence a need for electrification estimated by the International Energy Agency at $ 80 billion a year.

In Tunisia, the IMEE sector has been experiencing a strong momentum in the recent years. Its annual growth rate is estimated at 13% and its added value at 3.500 million dinars (MD). 75% of the sector's exports are intended for the European Union.

The Electrical and Electronic Industries (IEE) and Mechanical and Metallurgical Industries (IMM) sectors rank 1st and 4th, respectively, in the foreign direct investments (FDI) of the manufacturing sector. In 2015, these FDIs edged up to 1.378 MD and 1.028 MD, respectively for IEE and IMM.

source: TAP