Oussama HADDAD
Jan 29

The Simulation Expert Path: Bridging the Gap in Tunisia’s Engineering Industry

Implementing simulation in Tunisia is an idea that has been taunting us for years. Despite the global shift toward simulation-driven design, many Tunisian companies still rely on over-dimensioning methods or perform small, inaccurate simulations.
The Simulation Expert Path aims to change that by equipping students with essential skills in SolidWorks Simulation and Abaqus, creating a new generation of FEA engineers ready to challenge the status quo and drive the adoption of simulation in the Tunisian industry.

The initiative

The Simulation Expert Path targets all Tunisian technical universities, seecting 100 students across three regions—North, Sahel, and South— who will undergo a year-long training to gain practical expertise in SolidWorks Simulation and Abaqus.
Through four progressive levels—Introduction, Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced—participants gain hands-on experience and industry insights.

Building Awareness

To introduce the Simulation Expert Path, we partnered with university clubs, who hosted info sessions at their schools. These sessions highlighted the benefits of simulation tools like SolidWorks and Abaqus. The clubs played a key role in promoting the initiative and encouraging students to get involved. This approach ensured we reached a wide audience and emphasized the importance of simulation in engineering.
Info session in ENIG

An Overwhelming Response

Once the Simulation Expert Path was introduced, applications were opened to students across various universities. The initiative quickly gained traction, with over 900 students expressing interest, highlighting the strong demand for hands-on training on FEA analysis in Tunisia.

Educational Partners

Our educational partners were welcoming, granting us access to their clubs and easing the logistics, making the program's implementation seamless and effective.

Industrial Partners

We partnered with industrial companies to provide participants with real-world challenges, allowing them to work on actual industry problems. By offering case studies and real-world data, our partners help students apply their learning to practical situations, preparing them for industry demands.

Opening Day

So far, we've held two opening sessions: one in the North region at our office and another in the Sahel region at ENISo.
At both events, our industrial partners presented their companies and emphasized the critical role of simulation in their industries and job functions.
North Region Opening Day:
In the North region, we were joined by influential industrial leaders :
  • Mounir Jaballah, CEO of AGLink
  • Assad Rkik, Project Director at Coficab
  • Mahdi Kamoun and Aymen Souissi, Plan Manager and COO, respectively, at Samm
Sahel Region Opening Day:
In the Sahel region too, we were joined by influential industrial leaders :
  • Hatem Chebil, Office Engineering Manager at Hutchinson
  • Atef Aroussi, CEO and Founder of FM Méca
  • Nadia Mhat, Engagement Coordinator at Cluster Mecatronic

Training in Action

We kicked off the training in the North region, starting with SolidWorks Simulation, delivered by our expert Malek Ben Bouhayia. Later this year, Khalil Mansouri, our Abaqus expert, will lead the training on Abaqus.

The Waiting List

Many candidates on the waiting list showed strong interest in participating in the initiative. To ensure we select the most motivated and capable participants, we gave them temporary access to our SolidWorks Simulation course. We encouraged them to learn the material and record videos showcasing their understanding.
Many candidates seized the opportunity, watched the tutorials, and submitted outstanding videos that truly impressed us.
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Next Steps

We will continue the training in the North region and will soon begin the sessions in the Sahel and South regions. Our industrial partners will provide real-world cases for the students to simulate during their training, significantly enhancing the quality of the program and better preparing them for their professional careers.

Expanding Globally

Our vision for the Simulation Expert Path goes beyond Tunisia. We’ve already taken a significant step by partnering with 3Designer, a reseller in Central America. Together, we conducted a two-week intensive training session, laying the foundation for them to replicate the initiative in their region. The goal is clear: drive change and promote simulation-driven design on a global scale.

Oussama HADDAD

Oussama is an Application Engineer at ABBK Physicsworks and a longtime SolidWorks user. He is one of the developers of the ABBK University e-learning platform and currently serves as the Program Manager for both the Simulation Expert Path and SolidWorks Day initiatives.