First and foremost, on behalf of SAP, we would like to thank all the 2023 SAP Innovation Award participants for their hard work showcasing the many ways they are delivering impact within their businesses. We are truly grateful for and inspired by all the incredible submissions received this year.

This is the perfect opportunity to share an inside look at the judging process, announce our esteemed finalists, and provide a preview for what is next.

Judging Process

This year’s awards represent our greatest yet, as we are celebrating our 10th anniversary with ten categories:

  • 10th Anniversary Superstar
  • Sustainability Hero
  • Industry Leader
  • Partner Paragon
  • Transformation Titan
  • Cutting-Edge Genius
  • Business Innovator
  • Experience Wizard
  • Adoption Champion
  • Services Supernova

Being selected as an SAP Innovation Award finalist is an incredible accomplishment on its own – it takes a wealth of ingenuity and perseverance. Entries are evaluated based on three main criteria:

  • Use Case Creativity: how compelling or disruptive the use case is
  • Tangible Outcomes: the magnitude of the outcome, impact on individuals and society, and how significant the quantified results are
  • Intelligent Enterprise: how well the entry demonstrates the company’s journey to becoming an intelligent enterprise

What makes being selected as a finalist even more remarkable is how competitive it is. In total, we published over 220 submissions, now visible on the SAP Innovation Award Web site, and of those only 70 are selected as finalists.

Celebrating the Finalists

On that note, I would like to give a very well-deserved “Congratulations!” to all the finalists. I encourage everyone to check out their submissions here. I must say, these are truly among the most impressive entries we have received over the years. As I’ve said before, their stories have inspired us. And I know you will draw inspiration from them, too.

The Winners Announcement Is Rapidly Approaching

The winners will be announced on April 12, 2023. Out of the 70 finalists, the winners’ judging panel will narrow it down to 30 entries to be crowned as 2023 SAP Innovation Award winners.

The winners will be globally recognized as innovators, earn bragging rights, and be featured in numerous promotional opportunities such as podcasts, media interviews, CIO.com blogs, speaking opportunities, and more. They will receive all of that on top of a prestigious trophy, an exclusive celebration event, and an SAP Sapphire Orlando 2023 pass or a US$1,000 SAP4Good voucher for a charitable donation.

You can always check out the SAP Innovation Award Web site for more information.

Once again, a big thank you to all the SAP Innovation Award participants and we wish all of our finalists the best of luck. Stay tuned for the big announcement coming in April!


Stephanie Nashawaty is global head of Customer Advisory at SAP.