The University of Manouba (UMA) is a public Higher Education establishment, founded in 2000, and reunites 14 institutes and faculties in one large campus. In 2016, UMA recorded 17779 students, 1608 professors/lecturers and 825 administrative staff. The Higher Institute of Biotechnology of Sidi Thabet (ISBST) is one of UMA’s establishments with 66 teaching staff and 54 technical staff. ISBST offers third-level academic education and scientific research in Biotechnology applied to the para-pharmaceutical/pharmaceutical industry, safety and quality control of food, experimental and analytical biology, animal, plants and microbial system biology, and molecular biology and health. ISBST and Tunisian collaborators is conducting extensive research on the extraction of natural bioactive molecules for retarding oxidation and improving safety and shelf-life of foods (see ARIMNET project 2018-2020); and on the valorisation of dairy products made of dromedary and goat milk. Thus, the ongoing research at ISBST and their members’ set of skills concur very well with the objectives of the ArtiSaneFood project that primarily focuses on bio-preservation strategies. The local production of quality foods will sharpen the competitive edge of the food artisan businesses and promote innovation, covering at least one of the drivers for sustainable socioeconomic development of the Saharan territories, which is a mission of UMA.
