The International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private-sector lending arm of the World Bank Group, has unveiled plans to invest €52 million to support the expansion of German automotive supplier Marquardt Group in Tunisia.
Announced on July 6, 2026, the proposed financing package is scheduled for approval by the IFC’s board of directors on August 7.
If greenlit, the funds will underpin Marquardt Automotive Tunisia’s development program, financing the modernization of production units, the acquisition of new industrial equipment, and a strengthening of its working capital.
According to project documents published by the IFC, the investment is designed to solidify Marquardt’s industrial footprint in Tunisia and deepen its integration within the local automotive ecosystem.
The move is expected to foster stronger supply-chain linkages with Tunisian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), while also boosting technical and managerial skills through partnerships with universities and vocational training centers.
The IFC emphasized that its intervention would provide Marquardt with longer-term financing than typically available from local commercial banks, a critical factor for the high-tech manufacturing sector, which is characterized by significant and protracted investment cycles.
A Three-decade presence in North Africa
The German family-owned group, founded in 1925 and now employing roughly 10,000 people globally, has been active in Tunisia since 1991. Today, it employs nearly 2,000 workers across its local production sites, including facilities in El Agba (Tunis) and El Fejja, in the Manouba governorate.
Over the years, Marquardt has progressively transformed Tunisia into a strategic industrial hub for its automotive operations.
Local units produce high-value electronic and mechatronic components, including vehicle control systems, access and authorization solutions, switches, sensors, and energy management technologies for leading international automakers.
Beyond the automotive sector, the group also develops solutions for electric mobility and smart energy management, encompassing charging systems, battery management solutions and hydrogen-related technologies.
With production, development, and sales sites spanning Europe, Asia, the Americas, and Africa, Tunisia remains Marquardt’s primary industrial base on the African continent, serving as a gateway to global automotive supply chains.
