At SAP, we’ve long believed that AI has the power to transform industries, enabling companies to become more intelligent, efficient, and sustainable both here in Singapore and around the world.
Since 2019 – before AI became the buzzword it is today – we’ve collaborated with more than 80 enterprises here in Singapore, co-developing AI-driven solutions to make a tangible impact not only on their businesses, but Singapore’s economy at large.
In 2022, for example, we launched Southeast Asia’s first SAP Labs here in Singapore. The Labs was set up to drive deep technology innovation in areas like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, and advancing transformative digital supply chain, intelligent business network and sustainability solutions.
In all, SAP has invested almost S$300 million over the years in driving the development of cutting-edge technology in Singapore.
Today, I am thrilled to share the latest significant milestone in our journey of innovation — a fresh investment of S$12 million in our Digital Innovation Accelerator dedicated to boosting the adoption of Business AI in Singapore’s most critical industries: advanced manufacturing, financial services, and travel and logistics.
This announcement comes at a particularly exciting time. On October 1, 2024, Singapore launched Smart Nation 2.0, a refreshed vision to strengthen its national digital leadership, marked by a key S$120 million investment into AI research and development.
There’s a clear growing recognition that AI is not just a tool for efficiency but a driver for deep scientific and industrial transformation. At SAP, we’re aligned with these national goals, whether it’s improving environmental monitoring or optimising supply chains.
That is why our new initiative matters now more than ever.
Singapore is already at the forefront of digital transformation, thanks to strong government initiatives such as the National AI Strategy and SkillsFuture programme, both of which are helping future-proof the workforce and strengthen the nation’s global competitiveness.
With SAP’s expanded investment, we’re further boosting these national efforts and specifically sharpening our focus on highly specialised use cases in priority industries. This means bringing together SAP’s deep business process knowledge with advanced data science to create AI solutions tailored to the unique needs of each industry.
Salvatore Lo Presti, SAP Business Group Lead for Accenture in the APAC region, commented, “Through Accenture’s broader generative AI collaboration with SAP, we’re leveraging our technology and industry experience to help organisations in Singapore use SAP Business AI to address their most complex and pressing business needs and deliver real value across industries. The SAP Digital Innovation Accelerator expansion will provide new opportunities to work with SAP to help our joint clients in the region move from pilots to production and reinvent their core business process with AI.”
We are also working with these industry leaders to develop AI applications that further their sustainability goals. This ensures that the solutions we develop are not singularly focused only on profitability, but can also positively impact our planet on a global scale, whether through improving environmental monitoring or optimising supply chains for greater efficiency and reduced waste.
One example that stands out is our work with Sunningdale Tech, a precision plastics manufacturer in Singapore. It is aiming to use AI to better predict production needs and optimise the use of materials, leading to reduced waste and cost savings. This is just one of many instances where AI is not only driving business results but also producing sustainability outcomes.
Abraham Thomas, Managing Partner, IBM Consulting, ASEAN, agrees. He notes, “Over time, the biggest gains for Singapore organisations will come from focusing on Gen AI deployments that enhance productivity for their essential business functions. This requires an ecosystem of trusted partners to help them build AI with trustworthy data and governance capabilities. Building on the long-standing collaboration between SAP and IBM, which today aims to drive new Gen AI capabilities using watsonx and our Granite LLMs and industry-specific cloud solutions, we look forward to leveraging our technology and expertise to enhance the country’s economic and business potential together.”
Dave Chen, SAP Leader, PwC South East Asia Consulting, added, “PwC has been part of Singapore’s digital growth journey, helping businesses of all stripes on their digital-transformation journeys, powered by our alliance with SAP. Backed by PwC’s unique Business, Experience, Technology (BXT) approach, we have been helping organisations accelerate growth and sustain value through user-centred innovation. PwC is firmly focused on using GenAl to deliver business value, with our teams across the firm and in our Al factory developing new solutions and finding new ways to help our clients unlock a plethora of opportunities. Through our long-standing alliance with SAP we are committed to driving the next phase of growth and prosperity in Singapore by helping clients adopt GenAl purposefully and responsibly, which will spur Al-powered business reinvention and drive sustainable outcomes for our clients.”
Another critical aspect of our initiative is upskilling the local talent pool.
Over the past five years, SAP has supported more than 1,000 mid-career professionals through SkillsFuture, and we’ve recently launched a suite of free AI foundational courses to continue this mission. Later this year, we’ll introduce certification courses on Business AI, further helping professionals here in Singapore build the skills needed to thrive in an AI-driven world.
This initiative represents much more than just an investment in technology—it’s an investment in the future of Singapore.
By boosting AI adoption in industries that are crucial to the nation’s economy, we’re helping businesses innovate faster and more effectively. At the same time, we’re empowering Singaporean organisations to lead the way in sustainability, aligning with Singapore’s ambitions to become Net Zero by 2050 and playing a crucial role in shaping greener, more responsible business practices.
The alignment between SAP’s initiatives and Smart Nation 2.0 is clear. Both seek to build a future-ready workforce, promote innovation, and foster a sustainable digital economy. By continuing to invest in AI and digital transformation, SAP is proud to be part of Singapore’s journey towards becoming a global leader in both AI and sustainability.
The road ahead for AI is incredibly promising, and I’m proud that SAP is at the heart of this transformation and it’s significant contribution to Singapore’s digital future. I look forward to seeing the innovations we’ll bring to life in partnership with our customers and the broader ecosystem.
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Read more about SAP’s new investment to boost industry-specific adoption of AI here.
by Eileen Chua, Managing Director, SAP Singapore