The regional directorate of the Southern Technpark in Tataouine is about to start work, in order to become a new locomotive for the development of the region, particularly in the agricultural sector. With a total construction cost estimated at 2.5 million dinars, this new structure will focus on the development of agricultural resources and will host a group of experts and researchers working in the field of agricultural development, Farah Ben Salem, regional director of the Institut Des Régions Arides (IRA), told TAP. "This is the first organisation of its kind in the south-east region. It is a space open to all areas of research, training and project creation, and will act as a federating platform for all economic actors, with the stated aim of optimising the development of the region's agricultural resources," Ben Salem stressed. She went on to explain that the first phase will be limited to setting up the centre's administration and assigning the managers and engineers involved in training, organising seminars and stimulating investment. As for the second phase, it will involve the laboratories and evaluating the institute's research results. In the third and final phase the economic area will be boosted and companies that want to benefit from the results of the research and the wealth of agricultural products in the region will be attracted, said Ben Salem.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse