Tunisia has been propelled into space thanks to the Russian Soyuz launcher, the first satellite completely designed and manufactured on its land by Tunisian engineers. A strong symbolic success for the country, which is increasingly positioning itself as a technological crossroads between Europe and Africa. It is also a success for Telnet, the engineering team that developed Challenge One, the five-kilo nanosatellite.
Having a satellite in its own colors has become commonplace. Eleven African countries already have them. However, mastering the design, operation and utilization of data from start to finish is another matter. And in this area, Telnet can rightly boast of having marked the spirits.
The group, founded in 1994 by engineer Mohamed Frikha, actually shows the benefits of the commercial bet of positioning itself in the juicy market for satellite design – a market still dominated today by European and American giants – behind the symbol and the technological achievement, Telnet is targeted at market problems. Africa and the Middle East will in fact be the new customers of satellite manufacturers in the coming years.
Telnet, which employs more than 600 engineers, has built its reputation on professional and industrial software, especially working with large European groups such as Altran.
The company, which is listed on the Tunis Stock Exchange, has diversified its activities in the field of computer-aided design or telecommunications networks over the past twenty years. In 2018, Telnet entered into an agreement with the Japanese Fuji IMVAC to manufacture drones manufactured in Tunisia again with the ambition of mastering all the technological gears.
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