SAP Labs LLC recently revealed a major expansion of its Dresden office in Germany. This is due to the region’s strong focus on microelectronics, dating back more than 30 years, and its drive into the future with a number of startups, technology, and innovation centers.
Last year, SAP celebrated 50 years of providing cutting-edge solutions to businesses globally. The German enterprise software giant now employs over 100,000 people who serve more than 460,000 clients in 140 different countries. The software company has made numerous expenditures on research and development (R&D) over the years to help customers prepare for what is to come in the business landscape.
Investments in SAP Labs LLC and SAP.iO, two of the IT giant’s companies focusing on R&D and startup developments, were announced in Canada and the Latin American regions last year. This month, another city will become an important global innovation hub for various SAP development units worldwide.
The relationship between SAP and Dresden dates back a long way, making it SAP’s second mainstay in eastern Germany after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. In 2008, the tech giant constructed a new office building (DRE04) for its roughly 500 employees directly across from the Dresden Zwinger. Since then, the workforce has increased to about a thousand people, making the previous premises unsustainable.
The new building is focused on meeting employee needs and takes into consideration concepts for future work. It offers a range of amenities that are meant to make SAP an attractive employer for young talent in the highly competitive market. Moreover, its central location makes it easy to reach by public transport which also helps maintain contact with students from nearby schools and universities.
“We are all super excited here in Dresden. With this new location, we are realizing our vision of the SAP Campus in Dresden,” Stephan Klein, senior vice president of Cloud Success Services and site manager of SAP Dresden, said.
SAP Labs Network Locations in Germany
As part of the SAP Labs Network, Dresden is now positioned as an important hub to facilitate collaboration between different development units around the world. Walldorf, St. Leon-Rot, Berlin, and Munich are also members of the SAP Labs Network and contribute to the development and distribution of SAP products.
Mirko Paul, Chief Operating Officer at SAP Labs Dresden, believes collaboration and innovation are only possible within an ecosystem where people can work directly with partners in manufacturing or logistical processes. He noted that this is something that’s currently impacting even small-medium sized enterprises (SMEs). Through joint projects such as European Catena-X, uniform standards for data flow throughout value chains are created by providing the digital core of this automotive industry project.
Inspiring Young Talent
Partnering with local authorities such as Silicon Saxony alongside major educational initiatives such as those undertaken by TU Dresden University are just some ways that SAP inspires young talent at a grass-roots level – whether during or after studies. In addition to these initiatives, there are also regular technology events organized by universities as well as companies within Silicon Saxony.
The organizations offer further opportunities to gain interest from potential recruits from the early stages of study onwards – ultimately driving towards a successful career at SAP and contributing towards developing innovative solutions within IT space across multiple industries worldwide.
An Exciting Chapter Ahead
The expansion of SAP’s presence in Dresden marks an exciting new chapter not just for this region but also on a global scale. It facilitates increased collaboration between various development units across all areas of research and product delivery while inspiring young talent early on through various educational initiatives. Indeed, SAP is positioning itself firmly within one of Europe’s leading tech hubs looking forward to the future with confidence.
“We all want to create value and that works best if we work hand in hand because what we do at SAP is a team sport,” Juergen Mueller, Chief Technology Officer and Executive Board Member with SAP, remarked.
