Under CopyrightTangour, CyrineCyrineTangourZenker, AndreaAndreaZenkerMuller, EmmanuelEmmanuelMullerAbdelkafi, NizarNizarAbdelkafi2025-12-022025-12-022025https://publica.fraunhofer.de/handle/publica/50000610.24406/publica-6656This paper presents insights from the initial phase of the three-year Tunisian-German research project "Solution Labs Tunisia" (SolLabTUN), conducted between 2021 and 2024 and funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). The project aims to strengthen Tuni-sia's innovation system by fostering collaboration between academia, industry, and public institu-tions through a tailored workshop format called Solution Labs. The National Innovation System (NIS) framework, including models like the Quadruple Helix, highlights the importance of interconnected elements such as research, funding, infrastructure, and favorable conditions, as well as collaboration between academia, industry, government, and civil society to drive innovation in a rapidly evolving global landscape. Tunisia's innovation system is hindered by several challenges, including fragmented governance, limited funding, unequal access to innovation, and a lack of collaboration between academia and industry, which collectively impede the translation of scientific knowledge into market-ready innovations and economic growth. The project team defined the SolLabTUN project to promote the emergence of a new market-driven format that strengthens the link between business, science, and higher education. The results of this paper are built upon the findings of a one-year preparatory project conducted in 2018/19 and a kick-off workshop held at the outset of this project. The key findings of this paper highlight the opportunities and challenges of designing and piloting Solution Labs in Tunisia, which are central to the project's core objective of developing and conducting five such labs in the strategic regions of Tunis and Sfax. In summary, the Solution Labs initiative in Tunisia is a multiday, cross-organizational, and intercul-tural event where young talents, supported by scientific experts, work on real-world challenges presented by Tunisian companies. These interdisciplinary teams collaborate in a creative environment to develop innovative concepts aiming to bridge the gap between academia, higher education, and business. By fostering collaboration among diverse stakeholders, the initiative promotes market-driven innovations and strengthens the relationship between academia and industry, ultimately contributing to a more integrated innovation ecosystem. The project faces several key risks, including the experimental nature of the concept in the Tunisian context, the challenge of identifying appropriate innovation challenges, attracting, and retaining creative young professionals, and ensuring coaching quality. To mitigate these risks, the project foresees continuous improvement strategies, including pairing coaches with diverse backgrounds, gradually transferring process ownership to a Tunisian team, and conducting regular assessments. In conclusion, the implementation of Solution Labs in Tunisia represents a strategic approach to contribute to improving Tunisia’s NIS by focusing on practical, collaborative problem-solving between academia and industry. This initiative has the potential to catalyze broader improvements in the innovation ecosystem, ultimately contributing to increased innovation potentials. In the medium to long term, this should contribute to improved innovation capacities, to the crea-tion of employment options, especially for highly qualified persons, and ultimately to improving the standard of living in Tunisia.enreport