DUBAI (UAE) October 9th, 2017: Closing the skills gap is the top business priority for 40 percent of Middle East and North Africa organizations, one of the world’s leading digital skills enablers, SAP, announced today at GITEX Technology Week 2017.
In the Digital Economy, where the only certainty is change, the one source of lasting competitive advantage is knowledge. While companies are looking to keep pace with their competition, 64 percent of respondents to a recent IDT survey say they do not have the personnel with the skills necessary for digital transformation. Skills and knowledge are more important than ever and have become powerful assets for success.
Supporting future skills development in the region, today saw the global launch of Winnovate, powered by SAP. Winnovate was born from a desire to fuel a movement of impactful innovation. It is a catalyst for enquiring minds that are open to ground-breaking thinking methodologies. The initiative offers collaborative learning opportunities and engaging programs based on various innovation methods and supports individuals and organizations alike.
‘The Middle East and North Africa needs to close the skills gap by enabling change ambassadors with a framework for structured innovation based on empathy.’
The World Economic Forum highlights that 40 percent of regional employers cite the skills mismatch as holding back business growth. By 2020, one in five core skills will be different in GCC, and complex problem-solving skills and critical thinking skills are viewed as the Top 5 skills most needed.
Marita Mitschein, Senior Vice President at SAP.
“The Middle East and North Africa needs to close the skills gap by enabling change ambassadors with a framework for structured innovation based on empathy. We believe there is not one holy grail of innovation, and that the right and unique blend of various methodologies will drastically improve the success of one’s innovation journey. As emerging digital trends such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, machine learning, and the Internet of Things are already making an impact, now is the time for Winnovate to build an active community of innovation leaders,” said Marita Mitschein, Senior Vice President at SAP.
Winnovate empowers participants with a variety of tools and methodologies, that give the confidence to innovate. The programs are deeply rooted in Design Thinking, but augmented with other tools and methods such as Business Model Innovation or Lean Startup. Showing the benefits, Design Thinking for instance can more than double ROI, according to the Design Management Institute.
Innovation pioneers, who will not have the chance to get inspired by Winnovate at the dedicated booth during GITEX, can inquire exclusive participation for SAP’s thought leadership event on “Skills 2.0 – Knowledge as Game-Changer for the Digital Age”.
During this event on Sunday, November 5th, 2017, in Abu Dhabi, the SAP Training and Development Institute and the German Emirati Joint Council for Industry and Commerce (AHK) will discuss how the knowledge landscape has and will continue to change and what this means for individuals and organizations, that want to thrive in the digital economy.
Visit the winnovate stand in Concourse 2, and the SAP stand in Hall 6, exhibiting under the theme of “Empathy to Action”.
About SAP
As market leader in enterprise application software, SAP (NYSE: SAP) helps companies of all sizes and industries run better. From back office to boardroom, warehouse to storefront, desktop to mobile device – SAP empowers people and organizations to work together more efficiently and use business insight more effectively to stay ahead of the competition. SAP applications and services enable more than 355,000 customers to operate profitably, adapt continuously, and grow sustainably. For more information, visit www.sap.com. Follow SAP on Twitter: @SAPMENA, @SAPMENANews, sap@wallispr.com
