Algeria’s tech export pioneer hopes to create 1,000 new businesses
Bomare Company's ambition of producing 7.5 million televisions a year will help Algeria's entrepreneurs create hundreds of new engineering SMEs, says Ali Boumediene
Transcript
Ali Boumediene is the founder of Bomare Company, the Algerian electronics manufacturer. By 2025 he hopes to be producing 7.5 million televisions a year, and exporting 90 percent of them. He explains how he developed Bomare from a company that simply imported products from Europe for Algerian distribution, to an assembler and manufacturer that now exports high quality products back to Europe. His 7.5 million units goal will help create an atmosphere for Algerian engineers to build a successful life without having to go overseas, and help diversify Algeria’s economy so it isn’t so heavily dependent on oil and gas production.
European CEO: Why did you create Bomare Company, and how is it positioned in the electronics industry today?
Ali Boumediene: Well, I started my business in 1992; I just imported the product from Europe and distributed it to the Algerian market. And I had one time received an invitation from a big group in South Korea; I came back from my trip and decided definitely to manufacture my own product and export it to Europe.
I wanted to make a quality product, to international standard. This is a big challenge, because Algeria, don’t forget, it just makes oil and gas. It’s not a manufacturing country, it’s not an exporting country. So you have a lot of problems before, but, you know, this is a challenge. And until now I’m very happy to see my product in Europe.
European CEO: Bomare was identified by the London Stock Exchange Group as a Company to Inspire Africa; what does this mean to you? How important is it that you’re creating something for Algeria?
Ali Boumediene: For me it’s a big success. To give more chances to the people of Algeria.
For example, now: engineers coming from university, I want to train them, and give them a chance to open their own company. And I’ll buy the product from them to integrate their product in our product, and export. No need to fly to Canada or the US or Europe to work in this industry. So we have here the opportunity to work in Algeria.
If I can finish this project, with 7.5 million TVs, we will have to create a minimum of 1,000 companies: like medium, small, some start-up companies. So this for me, it’s a challenge in these 10 years, between 2020 and 2030.
European CEO: And what are you most proud of within Bomare Company? What drives you and your staff to succeed?
Ali Boumediene: You know, everybody now working in Bomare, when they see 20 years before, you imported some products from Europe, but now today they are manufacturing products and exporting to Europe, this for us is a big success for everybody.
When you have this challenge, you know, you are very satisfied to move from being completely importing and consuming people, and to manufacture and to export to the same market you imported from before? It’s a big success.
And now I have many managers pushing me more, to make this project. Because they know what the value is for Algeria, for Algerian people. And what you can do in future for Africa. Because you know, the next step for me is the complete African market. I need to open some companies in Africa to do the same as in Algeria, 20 years before. So for example, if I export to some country in Africa, starting to export finished products, definitely the next step is to start doing assembly there, and then the final step, you need to go for the innovation: completely LED.