The International Finance Corporation (IFC) is providing up to €52 million to expand Marquardt’s manufacturing operations in Tunisia, the World Bank Group institution announced on 3 November 2026. The German supplier of automotive mechatronic components plans to increase output at three factories around Tunis, with more than 400 additional jobs expected over the coming years.
The financing will support equipment purchases, industrial expansion spending and working capital as production lines scale up. Marquardt makes electronic systems and controls used in vehicle interiors, among other applications. IFC’s investment disclosure identifies a loan of up to €52 million, approved in August and signed on 25 September 2026. The partnership was publicly announced in early November.
Three factories around Tunis and long-term financing
Marquardt operates two facilities in El Agba and a third in the El Fejja industrial zone. According to IFC’s project disclosure, its Tunisian operations employ about 2,000 people and also support research and development. IFC says its longer-term financing is designed to match the investment cycle of automotive manufacturing, which extends beyond the maturities typically available from local commercial banks.
The latest transaction builds on an industrial presence dating to 1991. In September 2024, Marquardt opened an El Fejja plant making components for premium vehicles after investing more than €50 million in the building, machinery and equipment. At the time, the company outlined plans for 1,500 additional jobs by the end of the decade. The financing announced in November 2026 covers operations across three sites, with a target of more than 400 jobs attached to this programme.
Women in manufacturing and the automotive supply chain
Women account for about 65% of Marquardt’s workforce in Tunisia, according to IFC’s announcement. The partnership includes support for their progression into technical and management roles, alongside investments in rooftop solar power and energy efficiency at the manufacturing sites.
Automotive component manufacturing is already a major Tunisian export industry. IFC estimates that the sector has nearly 300 companies and around 90,000 direct employees, with exports of approximately 10 billion Tunisian dinars in 2025. Marquardt supplies electronic automotive systems to international manufacturers within this wider production network.