Every executive I talk to is navigating the same fundamental challenge: how to execute faster and make smarter decisions while operating in an unpredictable market. Shifted demand, supply chain constraints, and margin pressure are no longer temporary disruptions—they are standard operating conditions.
To adapt, businesses are increasingly moving toward the vision of an Autonomous Enterprise. Achieving this requires connected, intelligent cloud systems that provide immediate operational clarity and give their teams the confidence to act.
When organizations get this right, the results go far beyond internal efficiency. They set new standards for their entire industry, deliver exceptional value to customers, and solve critical economic, environmental, and social challenges.
That is the driving force behind the 2027 SAP Innovation Awards. Every year, the awards recognize organizations that take on tough business challenges, leverage modern SAP technology, and deliver measurable outcomes that push their organizations—and our global community—forward.
Why participate?
Recognizing your team’s hard work is just the beginning. SAP Innovation Awards are designed to elevate your success story on a global stage and provide tangible benefits for your organization:
- Global visibility and marketing: Winners gain high-profile exposure, including a dedicated feature on the SAP News Center, cross-channel promotional campaigns, and potential placement on the SAP.com homepage.
- Event access and speaking opportunities: Winners receive a complimentary pass to SAP Sapphire (or a $1,000 charity donation voucher) and an invitation to celebrate at the SAP Sapphire reception. Top innovators may potentially secure coveted speaking slots at the event to share their journey directly with industry peers.
- Official recognition: To properly celebrate your team’s achievements, winners receive official, physical trophies and finalists and winners receive kits to showcase their success internally and externally.
A streamlined experience: focus on your story
Operational agility should apply to recognition, too. We have updated the submission process for 2027 to make sharing your story straightforward and fast.
You no longer need to figure out which category fits your project.
Instead of asking you to navigate a complex list of options, we want you to focus entirely on what matters most: telling your story. Simply submit your entry detailing the business problem you set out to solve, the SAP technologies you deployed, and the tangible business results you achieved.
Once submitted, our review committee will evaluate your entry and automatically assign it to the most relevant category. Because transformative work rarely stays in a single silo, your entry will also be considered across multiple applicable categories to maximize your team’s recognition.
Recognizing excellence across the enterprise
The 2027 awards framework recognizes breakthrough achievements across 14 core solution areas:
- AI Excellence
- Autonomous Enterprise Orchestrator
- Business Network Luminary
- Cloud ERP Champion
- Emerging Growth Leader
- Supply Chain Catalyst
- Financial Futurist
- Procurement Visionary
- People Experience Pioneer
- Customer Experience Innovator
- Technology Pathfinder
- Transformation Impact
- Services Superstar
- Sustainability Hero
Additionally, every entry is automatically evaluated for our Industry Leader awards, recognizing organizations that are building new business models across five key sectors:
- Consumer Industries
- Discrete Industries
- Energy & Natural Resources
- Public Services
- Financial Services
Showcase your progress
Real innovation rarely happens in one massive leap. It happens when focused, pragmatic teams use technology to solve everyday problems, make better decisions, and build momentum day by day.
If your team is using SAP solutions to drive real value, we want to celebrate your work and share your success with our global ecosystem.
Submissions are open now. I encourage you to !
Eric van Rossum is chief marketing officer for Autonomous Suite Product Marketing and Learning at SAP.
