The new challenges of innovation: The future of subcontracting facing the threat of the environment

Globalization of the economy and open borders have companies, including subcontractors, facing a great challenge of competitiveness. Such is the case of Tunisian companies.Tunisia has a Mediterranean climate in the North and the East Coast, semi-arid in the interior regions and Saharian in the south. Its closeness to Europe and the cheap manpower are the main assets which made several European companies subcontracted their activities to Tunisian companies.However, with the evolution of the environment these assets have lost their value facing the intensified competition, notably with the emergence of China that subcontracts very cheaply. Tunisian firms are facing a big challenge in trying to attract and retain a client- donor- henceforth is becoming very demanding. Building on the efforts of R&D is now the key to overcoming these difficulties and establish sustainability.Through the study of three cases of Tunisian subcontracted industrial enterprises and an abductive approach, our work reveals that, faced with a perceived as unstable environment, companies find it necessary to accentuate their R&D. The latter manifests itself in the co-conception or attempted inventions under development making it possible to offer new benefits.