Technologies such as AI, cloud and data platforms only realize their value when they are deeply integrated into business processes. Florian Kunzke, Global Director AI Strategy at SAP, explains in an interview how the company is driving this integration forward.
Sonja Liénard: How does SAP support companies in making their business processes intelligent, resilient and sustainable?
Florian Kunzke: Many companies today use cloud solutions, AI tools and countless dashboards, but they lack the overall overview. The reason for this is rarely the technology – but rather a lack of integration. Digital transformation requires end-to-end processes instead of isolated optimizations. SAP therefore provides an integrated suite that brings together central corporate areas such as finance, purchasing and human resources on a common database. Building on this, artificial intelligence can be used specifically to make and automate processes more resilient and sustainable.
How does SAP enable the use of AI along the entire value chain?
Florian Kunzke: SAP harnesses the potential of generative and agentic AI in central processes. Joule goes from being an AI co-pilot to a context-aware, adaptive user interface across all SAP systems – whether locally on the desktop, as a web client or on the mobile phone. Joule relies on the best language models from partners such as Anthropic, Google or Mistral, equips them with an understanding of business objects such as cost centers, suppliers or invoices, and reliably navigates them through complex process logic. In this way, Joule can create analyses, initiate workflows or complete transactions. Over 42,000 cloud customers are already using these functions productively.
What role do data spaces and business technology platforms play in successful data management today?
Florian Kunzke: A consistent system landscape and a modern data stack are crucial to reliably scaling AI. The SAP Business AI Platform acts as the backbone of company processes. It connects applications, makes data from SAP systems and other sources usable for AI use cases, helps navigate complex agentic systems and creates a foundation for innovation. Specific data spaces also enable collaboration between companies without losing data sovereignty. For example, SAP supports Catena-X – an open data ecosystem for the automotive industry that enables the secure and standardized exchange of data along the supply chain.
Why does SAP consistently rely on partner networks – and how do customers benefit from them?
Florian Kunzke: SAP consciously relies on a strong ecosystem instead of going it alone. Partnerships with leading AI labs and startups increase the speed of innovation. SAP recently announced its intention to acquire frontier AI startup Prior Labs, which would not only give us access to groundbreaking AI models for structured data, but also strengthen it with world-leading AI researchers. Elsewhere, the startup delivers Vercel Technology to build modern, AI-native user interfaces on our platform while collaborating with n8n creates more flexibility in agentic automation. SAP focuses on what we do best, namely intelligently controlling business-critical processes – and combines this with the best available AI technologies without compromising security and compliance.
How does SAP help companies achieve their sustainability goals and meet regulatory requirements?
Florian Kunzke: Many sustainability goals remain abstract because operational data is missing. SAP's sustainability offerings make it possible to record CO₂ emissions along the entire value chain – in real time. The aim is to establish sustainability not as a reporting topic, but as an integral part of daily activities. This is how CO₂ becomes a business indicator, supported by AI-based analyzes and transparent data integration.
How do technological innovations translate into real business benefits?
Florian Kunzke: The biggest obstacle to successful AI projects is not technology, but leadership. Many companies have powerful models, but no clear plan as to how they can specifically advance their strategy. Successful teams don’t start with the question “What can AI do?” but with “How does AI strengthen our strategy?” SAP accompanies this translation process with practical examples, use case libraries, direct integration into existing processes and with so-called “forward deployed engineers” who support the implementation at the customer's site.
In your opinion, which technologies and trends will drive digital transformation in the next five years?
Florian Kunzke: In my opinion, three developments are in the foreground here.
First: Generative UI – in the future, user interfaces will be dynamically generated and tailored to the respective role, context and task. SAP's Joule is developing from a chatbot into an intelligent interface that individually designs interactions.
Second: Systems of Context – Artificial intelligence only becomes effective when it operates in the context of real company data. The ERP of the future builds this context layer, equips AI with a semantic understanding of it and connects it to business reality.
Third: Governance as a competitive advantage – companies with early established and transparent AI governance will scale faster in the long term. Trust is becoming the new currency: those who make comprehensible AI decisions gain acceptance among employees, customers and partners.
What understanding of, what view of this change do managers need in order to shape it successfully?
Florian Kunzke: The next phase of digital transformation will not be decided by individual technologies, but rather by their smart integration into processes, data contexts and governance structures. For companies, this means seeing AI as a strategic lever – not as a tool. SAP relies on integrated platforms, open ecosystems and new concepts such as generative UI and systems of context. Managers who combine technological innovation with clear business goals not only help shape change – they drive it.
Shortened version of an interview that Florian Kunzke gave on the occasion of TRANSFORM26 had given.
