SAP launches digital innovation hub to spearhead next generation engineering and R&D for digital future

(from left) Mr Paul Marriot, President, SAP Asia Pacific Japan, Ms Jacqueline Poh, Managing Director, EDB, Mr Gan Kim Yong, Minister for Trade and Industry, Mr Thomas Saueressig, Executive Board Member for Product Engineering, SAP, Mr Clas Neumann, Senior Vice President, Head of Global SAP Labs Network, Mr Manik Saha, Managing Director, SAP Labs Singapore (Photo credit: SAP)

SAP SE (NYSE: SAP) today announced the launch of SAP Labs Singapore, a digital innovation hub that will drive product leadership, foster local digital talent, and boost ecosystem and community engagement. This will be the first in SEA for SAP with the aim of catalysing deep technology such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, and advancing transformative digital supply chain, intelligent business network and sustainability solutions.

At the opening ceremony, SAP welcomed Minister for Trade and Industry Mr Gan Kim Yong and Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) Managing Director Ms Jacqueline Poh. SAP also announced that with support from EDB, this investment will see SAP Labs Singapore employ more than 500 highly skilled digital professionals locally by 2025. This will double its existing team of product engineering professionals in Singapore, who will be located at SAP’s newly revamped regional headquarters located at Pasir Panjang.

“The future is created today. That is why SAP helps customers become sustainable, intelligent, and networked enterprises. We invest significantly in R&D to build solutions that not only help our customers digitally transform but create value for their businesses and the communities they operate in. Our global and diverse labs network is SAP’s unique innovation backbone and a source of inspiration, creativity, and innovation.”

Thomas Saueressig

Member of the Executive Board of SAP SE for SAP Product Engineering

SAP

“SAP Labs Singapore joins a network of strategic high-tech clusters, reinforcing SAP’s strong confidence in Singapore as an innovation and investment hub, its highly educated and skilled talent, and its position as a regional beacon of excellence in technology innovation and a digital future,” added Saueressig.

Singapore as the hub for digitalisation in South East Asia

“SAP’s decision to establish SAP Labs in Singapore reinforces the company’s confidence in our position as a hub for enterprise software product development and innovation. SAP Labs Singapore will create exciting job opportunities here in areas such as Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning that will further deepen the skills of our workforce. We look forward to its continued growth as we work together to enrich our digital ecosystem.”

Jacqueline Poh

Managing Director

EDB

“As companies look towards a new era of growth, businesses need to be agile and continually re-invent themselves. In a digital-first future, organisations must rapidly develop an innate ability to innovate – not just to adapt to the changing customer landscape, but to also create new sources of value and competitiveness as they consider broader challenges like sustainability. We aim to empower all organisations to embrace an innovation mindset.”

Manik Saha

Managing Director

SAP Labs Singapore

SAP plans to recruit early digital talent from Singapore’s local universities and institutions of higher learning, with a focus on software engineers and areas including AI, data analytics, cloud, and sustainability.

“By investing in a diverse local early talent pool here, SAP Labs Singapore aims to strengthen the engineering core in Singapore, and create more high-skill, high-value career opportunities and paths for Singapore residents. This will in turn spur product innovation for Singapore and rest of Asia, while delivering best-in-class solutions and sustainable products for organisations in the region,” added Saha.

Giving businesses ‘over-the-horizon’ ability to weather challenges

According to a new SAP regional study, 75% of Singapore SMEs are at least moderately optimistic about growth in the next 12 months, with 69% saying digital transformation is very or extremely important to their organisation’s survival for the next year. Fundamental to the mission of SAP Labs Singapore will be engagement with organisations to understand how innovation and new technologies are transforming their capabilities to weather challenges and drive long-term, future-ready growth.

“With the support from EDB, and our recently launched Centre for XM Innovation in Asia and SAP Labs Singapore, we continue to cement our position as a leader in innovation, and remain committed to collaborating with our customers, partners and community to harness cloud technology to accelerate growth in the digital economy.”

Eileen Chua

Managing Director

SAP Singapore

Singapore remains a key contributor to SAP regional growth story, with more than 1,100 employees in Singapore. SAP Singapore customers include businesses like Changi Airport Group, Hilleman Laboratories, JUMBO Group, Love Bonito, PCI Private Limited, Singapore LNG Corporation, Singapore Exchange Limited and Sunningdale Tech Ltd.

“SAP has a deep history in Singapore, and we recognise its status as a regional economic, financial, technology and innovation powerhouse, and its embodiment of a skilled population and a leader in cutting-edge innovation, which has helped propel the nation to the global stage,” added Chua.

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