Optical fibre, ICT, and textiles: ANP strengthens its industrial apparatus

This move reinforces the People's National Army (ANP )'s ambition to build a sovereign industrial base in sectors deemed strategic.

Algeria has just taken another step forward in consolidating its military industry. In a single issue of the Official Gazette, dated February 26, 2026, three presidential decrees signed by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune—Decrees No. 26-104, No. 26-105, and No. 26-106, all dated February 17, 2026—establish three new public companies attached to the ANP's economic sector. Each endowed with “legal personality and financial autonomy,” according to the wording enshrined in Article 2 common to all three texts, these establishments are placed under the direct supervision of the Ministry of National Defence and headed, in accordance with Article 11 of each decree, by “a general officer or senior officer.” Their creation falls within the framework of Presidential Decree No. 08-102 of March 26, 2008, establishing the standard status of EPICs within the ANP's economic sector, a founding text that serves as the legal basis for the entire structure.

Optical fibre, the first link in digital sovereignty

The first establishment created was the Cable Factory (EPIC-EC), headquartered in Reghaïa, in the province of Algiers. Under the terms of Article 5 of Presidential Decree No. 26-104, it is “responsible, in particular, for the design, production, and development of optical fibres, optical fibre cables, and related components and accessories.” EPIC-EC is not limited to production: it “participates, within the framework of promoting the national economy, in the application of standardization and quality control of materials, semi-finished products, assemblies, and sub-assemblies within its field of activity.” Its scope of action is broad, since Article 6 authorizes it to “undertake any purchase, sale, import, and export operation related to its field of activity,” while Article 9 allows it to “acquire interests in companies and enter into any partnership agreement.” The institution may also, at the request of the Minister of National Defense or any other sector, “take on public service obligations on behalf of the State in relation to its missions, in accordance with specifications established for this purpose,” as stipulated in Article 8.

From computers to smartphones: ANP invests in the ICT era

The second pillar of this industrial offensive concerns information and communication technologies. Presidential Decree No. 26-105 establishes the Establishment for the Production of Information and Communication Technology Resources (EPICEPMTIC), located in El Harrach, Algiers. Its main mission, as defined in Article 5, is “the design, production, and development of information and communication technology resources.” Behind this regulatory wording lies a considerable ambition: to produce computers, servers, network equipment, software, tablets, and smartphones on national soil. The board of directors of this EPIC, chaired by the Minister of National Defence or his representative, includes representatives from the ANP general staff, the central directorate for digital and information systems, and the ministries of the interior, finance, industry, and telecommunications. It is worth noting that the Centre for the Development of Advanced Technologies (EPST-CDTA), a public scientific and technological institution, also sits on this board, highlighting the project research and development dimension.

Technical textiles, the third industrial front

The third decree, No. 26-106, creates the Textile Industry Development Agency (EPIC-EDIT), headquartered in Algiers. This EPIC is “responsible, in particular, for the design, manufacture, development, and marketing of industrial and technical textiles and various products related to its field of activity,” according to Article 5. The establishment “implements its supply and investment plans with a view to putting in place the resources and industrial infrastructure necessary to carry out its missions.” Its board of directors includes the military manufacturing department and the central administration department, as well as the existing clothing and bedding establishment (EPIC-EHC), suggesting a desire to structure an integrated textile sector within the defence apparatus.

The three establishments share an identical legal structure, based on the same body of legislation: Ordinance No. 75-59 on the Commercial Code, Law No. 88-01 on public economic enterprises, and Presidential Decree No. 24-390 of December 12, 2024, entrusting the Army's General Inspectorate with the task of control and inspection within the Ministry of National Defense. Each has the power to create branches throughout the country, carry out import-export operations, and establish partnerships. All of these prerogatives reflect a clear strategy: to make the ANP a fully-fledged industrial player, capable of reducing the country's technological dependence in areas where national sovereignty is now as much at stake in the economic arena as it is on the battlefield.