What SUP'COM does

SUP'COM (École Supérieure des Communications de Tunis) is a public higher education institution and engineering school located at the El Ghazala Technopole in Ariana, Tunisia, operating under the dual tutelage of the Tunisian Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and the Ministry of Communication Technologies, and forming a constituent school of the Université de Carthage. The institution trains engineers, master's, and doctoral researchers in information and communication technologies through a portfolio of programs: a 5-year Ingénieur degree (admitted via national competitive examination following two years of preparatory studies in MP/PC/T tracks), professional and research master's programs (M2) including a co-constructed track in Operational Cybersecurity, doctoral training under the EDTIC framework, and continuing-education certification programs (Cisco-certified center). Approximately 550 students are taught by 53 faculty members and supported by 57 administrative staff across 15 active student clubs, with operations managed through internal digital platforms including the EDX pre-registration portal, KEDUX information system, and SUP'EXAMS examination platform.

The institution hosts five specialized research laboratories — COSIM (Signal, Image, Communications), GRESCOM (Green & Smart Communication Systems), MEDIATRON (Radio-Mobile Multimedia Networks), Innov'COM (Innovative Mobile Communications & IoT), and CN&S (Communication Networks & Security) — which collectively drive applied research in 5G/6G networks, IoT, AI/ML, cybersecurity, optical communications, and embedded systems. Since 2000, the EDTIC doctoral school has enrolled 521 PhD candidates (349 women, 32 international) and produced 237 defended theses (171 women, 48 cotutelle), with active projects including AgroSelf (autonomous AI-controlled hydroponic greenhouse with INAT, ENIT, SESIT, S2T), DURABIO (IoT-based food quality prediction), DECEPT-CTI (NLP-based cyber deception framework), and the PACTE active-pedagogy initiative. SUP'COM holds EUR-ACE/CTI accreditation (2017 and renewed 2023) and is pursuing ISO 21001 quality certification.

Revenue mechanics are dominated by Tunisian state budget allocations via the two supervisory ministries, supplemented by competitive research grants from EU programs (FP7, H2020/SECREDAS, MAHEAD), national programs (PAQ, PIRD, PRF, PNRI), and bilateral programs (AUF, DAAD, PHC-UTIQUE, ANR). Ancillary streams include evening continuing-education certification programs, modest canteen and cafeteria operations, industrial partnerships and event sponsorships (Microsoft, HUAWEI, SAGEMCOM, Orange Tunisia, Ooredoo Tunisia, CERT, ANSI, IBM, STB, BIAT, Ernst & Young, Actia), and SUP'INCUBATOR startup support. Customer segments are dominated by domestic engineering-track students admitted via national examination, with secondary segments including doctoral researchers, professional master's cohorts (capped at ~25 per program), and international exchange students routed through 35+ academic partner institutions.

Name

SUP'COM

Legal name

École Supérieure des Communications de Tunis

Website

https://supcom.tn

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

SUP'COM is a Tunisian public engineering school within the Université de Carthage that trains ICT engineers and doctoral researchers through five specialized labs covering AI, cybersecurity, IoT, and 5G/6G, holding EUR-ACE accreditation and partnering with 35+ international universities and 20+ industrial sponsors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Engineering School

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Higher Education SIS & Campus Management Systems (EDAFAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Telecom, Unified Communications & VoIP (EDAOAIAN)

Keywords

• Telecommunications engineering
• Ict research programs
• Doctoral training programs
• Professional certification training
• Cybersecurity education

Headquarters

HQ city

Ariana

HQ country

Tunisia

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government Budget (Ministry Funding): SUP'COM is a public institution under the Tunisian Ministry of Technologies of Communication and Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, funded through state budgets.
2. Student Fees (Canteen & Cafeteria): Canteen meals at 200 millimes per meal; cafeteria services at approximately 3-5 dinars per item, generating modest ancillary revenue.
3. Research Project Funding: Funded through national programs (PAQ, PIRD, PRF, PNRI) and international programs (FP7, H2020, AUF, DAAD, PHC-UTIQUE, ANR France, bilateral and multilateral agreements), supporting applied research contracts with industry.
4. Continuing Education & Certification Programs: Evening professional training programs (17H30-20H30) ranging from 3 months to 3 years, delivered as a Cisco-certified center offering Cisco and other technology certifications, customized to enterprise needs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

SUP'COM is a public higher education institution that delivers engineering, master's, and doctoral degree programs in information and communication technologies (ICT), with instruction across telecommunications networks, radiocommunication, digital communication systems, embedded systems, security, and multimedia. The institution supplements degree programs with continuing education and Cisco certification courses, and conducts applied research through five specialized laboratories supporting students and industry partners.

Product overview

SUP'COM (École Supérieure des Communications de Tunis) is a public higher education institution under the University of Carthage, Ministry of Higher Education and Research, and Ministry of Communication Technologies. It operates as a telecommunications and ICT engineering school offering a tiered academic portfolio: a 5-year Ingénieur (engineering) degree as its flagship program, supplemented by professional and research master's degrees (M2 level) in specialized ICT domains (including co-constructed Operational Cyber Security), a doctoral program in ICT (EDTIC) covering telecommunications networks, radio communications, security, embedded systems, and multimedia, and professional qualification and certification programs (including Cisco certification as a Cisco-certified center). These programs are supported by the Centre 4C (Career and Skills Certification Center) for student employability, the SUP'INCUBATOR for startup incubation, and internal digital platforms including the KEDUX information system for library and administrative services, the SUP'EXAMS examination platform, and the EDX pre-registration portal. The institution also houses five active research laboratories (COSIM, GRESCOM, MEDIATRON, Innov'COM, CNAS) conducting AI/ML, IoT, and communications research that feeds back into its academic programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ingénieur (Engineering Degree) Five-year engineering degree program admitting students after two years of preparatory studies in mathematics-physics (MP), physics-chemistry (PC), or technology (T) tracks through a national competitive exam. Focused on telecommunications and ICT engineering disciplines with specializations in communications, networks, and embedded systems.
• Mastère Professionnel (Professional Master's) Professional master's degree (M2 level) offering specialized training in operational fields aligned with industry needs, including a co-constructed program in Operational Cyber Security delivered with industry partners. Limited to approximately 25 students per cohort for the cybersecurity track.
• Mastère de Recherche (Research Master's) Research-oriented master's degree (M2 level) preparing students for doctoral studies in ICT-related specialties across the five research laboratories.
• Doctorat en TIC (PhD in ICT) Doctoral program in Information and Communication Technologies (EDTIC) covering telecommunications networks, radio communications, digital communication systems, embedded systems, security, and multimedia. Includes cotutelle and co-direction options with international universities. Since 2000, 521 students have enrolled and 237 theses have been defended.
• Formation Qualifiante et Certifiantes (Continuing Education and Certification Programs) Evening continuing education programs (17h30 to 20h30) offering Cisco and other technology certifications, designed for technicians and engineers seeking to supplement their professional training. Programs range from 3 months to 3 years and are customized to enterprise needs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 237 doctoral theses defended and 521 students enrolled since 2000, with 171 female PhD graduates out of 237
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability13 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

32 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• H2020 MAHEAD ConsortiumflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019H2020 project (2019-2021) on mobile and empowered health equipment for monitoring, detection, prevention and prediction of diseases, coordinated by Innov'COM lab under Ridha Bouallègue.
• H2020 SECREDAS ConsortiumflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018H2020 project (2018-2021) on cybersecurity for cross-domain reliable dependable automated systems (V2V security), with 69 participants from 15 countries; SUP'COM (Innov'COM) and ENIT (Sys'Com) as the two Tunisian participants.
• AUF (Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerAUF is a major academic partner of SUP'COM, supporting international projects including FETUMA (Tuniso-Moroccan entrepreneurial training) and GOMED (geodesy in western Mediterranean).
• DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerDAAD supports SUP'COM through technology transfer and entrepreneurship exchange programs, including SMARTHeads project for automotive/digitalization education-industry linkages.
• NATEG (North American Tunisian Engineers Group)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNATEG fosters knowledge sharing between Tunisian and North American engineering professionals, with a SUP'COM chapter founded 3 years ago.
• IEEEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIEEE SUP'COM Student Branch, founded November 22, 2011, with 80+ student members. Provides platform for learning, professional networking, and participation in IEEE competitions at national and international levels.
• Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech Lorraine)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerDouble-diploma and mobility partner enabling 3-4 semester student exchanges for engineering students with Georgia Tech Lorraine campus.
• Télécom ParisflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerDouble-diploma and mobility partner enabling student exchanges and joint research collaboration.
• Télécom SudParis (Institut Mines-Télécom)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerMobility and double-degree partner; co-developer of the Challenge Projets d'Entreprendre (Trademarked by Télécom Sud Paris) replicated internationally at multiple institutions.
• IMT AtlantiqueflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerDouble-diploma and mobility partner through Institut Mines-Télécom network.
• ENSEIRB (Bordeaux INP)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerMobility and double-degree partner enabling exchanges for SUP'COM engineering students.
• INP Toulouse (Institut National Polytechnique de Toulouse)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerMobility partner with exchange programs and research collaboration.
• EURECOMflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerMobility and double-degree partner for engineering students and researchers.
• Université de MontpellierflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerMobility partner enabling student exchanges and cotutelle PhD programs.
• Supelec (CentraleSupélec)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerDouble-degree and mobility partner.
• FP7 FIRESENSE ConsortiumflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerEU FP7 project (2009-2013) on fire detection and management through multi-sensor networks for cultural heritage protection, led by Hichem Besbes at COSIM lab.
• HUAWEIcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustrial partner of SUP'COM, providing technology collaboration and industry engagement opportunities.
• MicrosoftcoreTechnology or IntegrationIndustrial partner; Microsoft Office 365 A3 license renewal consultation underway. Google Workspace also supported.
• Orange TunisiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustrial partner of SUP'COM for telecommunications research and student engagement.
• Ooredoo TunisiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustrial partner of SUP'COM for telecommunications research and student engagement.
• SAGEMCOMcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor and industrial partner; provides prizes for the Challenge Projets d'Entreprendre competition.
• CERT (Centre d'Etudes et de Recherches en Télécommunications)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational cybersecurity research partner of SUP'COM.
• ANSI (Agence Nationale de la Sécurité Informatique)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational industrial partner for cybersecurity policy and research alignment.
• Smart Tunisian TechnoparkscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner for the entrepreneurship challenge ecosystem.
• Pôle Etudiant Entrepreneur de Carthage (PEEC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution supporting student entrepreneurship at SUP'COM.
• Télécom SudParisemflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerLicensed the Challenge Projets d'Entreprendre model to SUP'COM and provides ongoing support and sponsorship.
• INPT RabatminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMobility partner for international exchanges.
• Ministry of Technologies of Communication (Tunisia)flagshipOthersGovernment supervisory ministry providing institutional oversight and funding.
• Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (Tunisia)flagshipOthersGovernment supervisory ministry overseeing higher education institutions and research programs.
• INAT (Institut National Agronomique de Tunisie)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner in the AgroSelf project consortium (SUP'COM, INAT, ENIT, SESIT, S2T) for developing an autonomous smart greenhouse.
• ENIT (Ecole Nationale d'Ingénieurs de Tunis)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner in the AgroSelf project and H2020 SECREDAS consortium.
• SAMA PARTNERScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner company in the MOBIDOC program; Amal Sayari's doctoral thesis conducted within CN&S Lab in collaboration with SAMA PARTNERS on cyber deception.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• EURECOM: French postgraduate engineering school focused on digital communications, cybersecurity, data science, and IoT — overlapping with SUP'COM's Innov'COM and CN&S lab domains. Flagship mobility and double-degree partner.
• CentraleSupélec: Elite French engineering school (formerly Supélec) with strong information and communication systems programs. Listed as a Flagship double-degree and mobility partner of SUP'COM.
• IMT Atlantique: Member of the Institut Mines-Télécom network with a Flagship double-diploma and mobility partnership with SUP'COM. Offers engineering and research masters in networks, cybersecurity, and embedded systems directly comparable to SUP'COM's ICT scope.
• ENSEIRB-MATMECA (Bordeaux INP): Engineering school within the Bordeaux INP group offering specialties in electronics, computer science, and telecommunications. Mobility and double-degree partner with overlapping curriculum in embedded systems and networks.
• Georgia Tech (Lorraine Campus): Georgia Tech's European campus in Metz, France, focused on electrical and computer engineering research. Flagship 3-4 semester double-diploma and mobility partner of SUP'COM, sharing similar research themes in communications and signal processing.
• INP Toulouse (Institut National Polytechnique de Toulouse): French network of public engineering schools with strong electronics and telecommunications tracks. Established Flagship mobility partner with SUP'COM for student exchanges and joint research.
• Télécom Paris: Tier-1 French grande école specializing in digital technology and ICT engineering, with the same postgraduate curriculum structure as SUP'COM. Listed as a Flagship double-diploma partner, making it the closest pedagogical and historical peer.
• Télécom SudParis (Institut Mines-Télécom): Trademarked and licensed the Challenge Projets d'Entreprendre model to SUP'COM and remains a strategic partner. Operates as a French ICT engineering school with analogous programs in networks, cybersecurity, and telecom research labs.
• ENIT (École Nationale d'Ingénieurs de Tunis): Peer Tunisian engineering school under the University of Tunis El Manar, with overlapping ICT and telecom engineering programs. Joint research partner in AgroSelf and H2020 SECREDAS consortia with SUP'COM.

Regional players

• INPT Morocco (Institut National des Postes et Télécommunications): Moroccan public engineering school focused on ICT and telecommunications, operating in the same Maghreb regional ecosystem and listed as a Minor international mobility partner of SUP'COM. Closest MENA regional peer with directly comparable scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/supcom_tn
• Facebookfacebook.com/supcomtunisie
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/supcom-tunisie

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SUP'COM