At a recent gathering of SAP innovators, a powerful message emerged from one of the world’s aerospace leaders: the sky is not the limit anymore, but space itself. Innovation is not a destination; it’s an endless journey.

Few companies embody that philosophy better than Airbus.

Innovation is not a department

“We are living at a remarkable crossroads in history. For decades, the sky was simply a place we traveled through. Today, it has become a testing ground for the future of humanity,” said Nicolas Jourdan, senior strategist at Airbus SAS. He was speaking at the TAC Insights conference for SAP Energy and Utilities in Toulouse, the operational headquarters of the company.

At Airbus, the mission goes far beyond manufacturing aircraft. It’s about designing systems that connect cultures, advance technology, protect the planet, and extend humanity’s reach into space.

“For us, innovation is not a department. It’s a way of thinking. It means asking ‘What if?’ when others say something is impossible,” said Jourdan. “It’s very simple. Innovation is about creating value for someone, somewhere, at a moment in time—and sustaining it over time.”

While this may sound simple, it requires challenging the status quo. It means embracing cultural change, taking calculated risks, and accepting failure as part of learning.

Legacy of breakthroughs

In 1970, Airbus entered an aviation market dominated by giants like Boeing, McDonnell Douglas, and Lockheed. They didn’t compete by being similar, but by being fundamentally different. The company has consistently challenged conventional thinking in aviation.

• At a time when experts believed twin-engine aircraft couldn’t safely cross oceans, Airbus proved them wrong with the A300 revolution, forever changing long-haul aviation.
• When most aircraft required a three-person crew, Airbus redesigned the cockpit to automate the flight engineer’s role. Despite resistance, the two-pilot cockpit became the global standard.
• Replacing analog dials with digital displays transformed how pilots interact with aircraft; glass cockpit innovation made flying safer and more intuitive.
• Airbus introduced digital flight controls, replacing mechanical systems with computers. Fly-by-wire technology increased safety and enabled flight envelope protection and more efficient operations. What once looked like a video game controller is now industry standard.

One of Airbus’s most impactful innovations is cross-crew qualification, meaning pilots can transition between aircraft models—from the A319 to the A350—with minimal additional training. This reduces costs for airlines and improves operational flexibility.

“Innovation isn’t always flashy. It’s mostly about making complex systems simpler and more human-friendly,” Jourdan reminded his audience.

Running the factory

Airbus builds big sections such as the fuselage, the wings, and the tail in different places. The sections are then shipped to one factory for assembly and testing in the Airbus Beluga, an oversized cargo aircraft developed especially to transport large components between production sites across Europe. Altogether, this process can take up to 12 months, especially for wide body aircraft.

The company uses SAP ERP systems, including SAP S/4HANA, to manage core business functions. It also uses SAP Manufacturing Execution directly on the factory floor and assembly lines, as well as SAP Integrated Business Planning to plan production, manage supply chain complexity, and optimize resource usage.

“SAP and Airbus have a long-term partnership,” Jourdan said. “Without SAP, our systems would not be as efficient as they are. We’re in continuous development.” 

Future scenarios

When it comes to pioneering new horizons, Airbus doesn’t rely solely on internal expertise but regularly explores unconventional approaches with external thinkers. These exercises help identify blind spots, validate strategy and understand societal and environmental shifts

To maintain both an inside and an outside-in perspective, Airbus created Skywise, an aircraft data analysis engine platform which acts as a digital brain, connecting aircraft, operations, and maintenance systems. A data platform for airlines and aircraft operations, it collects vast amounts of data into one system. It then performs predictive maintenance increasingly supported by AI to detect patterns and predict failures before they happen in order to prevent delays, failures, and expensive repairs.

Airbus’s future strategy is built on three transformational pillars:

• Decarbonization: The aerospace industry faces mounting pressure to reduce emissions. Airbus is tackling this head-on by exploring hydrogen-powered aircraft, sustainable aviation fuels, blended wing body designs, and fully electric propulsion concepts. Their goal is to launch the world’s first zero-emission commercial aircraft.
• Digital transformation: To enable fully connected ecosystems, Airbus is developing satellite-based connectivity networks, smart cabin and cargo systems,. and real-time operational data platforms. This enables better decision-making, reduced costs, and improved passenger experiences.
• Automation and autonomy projects: Projects like DragonFly are pushing the boundaries of pilot assistance and automation. Future capabilities include automatic emergency landing, weather-independent operations, and advanced navigation systems. The goal is not to replace pilots, but to enhance safety and efficiency.

Beyond Earth 

From orbit to deep space, Airbus is helping shape humanity’s next frontier. The company plays a key role in searching for life on Mars together with the European Space Agency using the ExoMars rover. It also collaborates with the European Service Module for NASA’s Artemis program missions and is helping to develop satellite systems enabling global communication and climate monitoring.

Often, new ideas are met with skepticism, cultural resistance can slow adoption, and mistakes are inevitable. Airbus embraces this reality and considers it part of the process.

“The biggest challenges of our time—climate change, global connectivity, and space exploration—cannot be solved by one company or even one industry. Decarbonization alone depends on energy providers, governments, infrastructure developers, and airlines and manufacturers. It’s a shared responsibility,” Jourdan concluded.

The Autonomous Enterprise is the operating model for organizations that will lead the decade ahead. At SAP Sapphire, SAP CEO Christian Klein positioned it as a cornerstone of SAP’s strategy, powered by enterprise-grade business AI embedded directly into core processes. We believe this marks a fundamental shift in how companies operate, compete, and create value.

This journey cannot be defined by technology alone. It requires dialogue, shared learning, and real-world insight. That is exactly why we are launching the Autonomous Enterprise podcast, a new series we will be hosting together.

Why this conversation matters now

Organizations today face unprecedented volatility, from geopolitical uncertainty and supply chain disruptions to energy challenges and rising resilience requirements. In this environment, the cost of inaction is increasing. Businesses must become faster, more adaptive, and structurally more resilient to stay competitive.

The Autonomous Enterprise offers a response. It combines three critical capabilities:

• Data-driven decision-making
• Automated execution
• Governance-by-design

Together, these capabilities enable organizations to move beyond isolated AI pilots toward measurable outcomes and enterprise-wide impact.

The shift is not just technical, though. It is organizational and strategic. The leaders we talk to are no longer asking whether they should adopt AI. The question now is how fast they can scale it and how they can generate tangible business value.

From concept to operating model

At its core, the Autonomous Enterprise reframes AI—not as a feature layered onto applications, but as an integral part of the operating model itself.

Three priorities define this model:

• Business value: focusing on measurable outcomes rather than experimental use cases
• Predictability: improving decision-making through trusted data and advanced forecasting
• Scalability: moving from proof-of-concept initiatives to enterprise-wide deployment

We are already seeing this shift change how organizations think about their systems and processes. Systems of record are evolving into systems of action. AI agents are moving from simple assistance toward execution. And AI is becoming embedded end-to-end, rather than confined to isolated scenarios.

At the same time, governance, auditability, and traceability are becoming non-negotiable. Enterprises must be able to stand behind every AI-driven decision with transparency and confidence.

What we are setting out to do

In this podcast series we want to create a space to explore these changes in depth and bring the voices shaping this transformation into the conversation. Each episode features discussions with SAP leaders, customers, and industry experts who are actively building and operating autonomous capabilities today.

Some of the questions we will be digging into:

• What does the Autonomous Enterprise look like in practice?
• How are leading companies scaling AI across core business processes?
• What are the biggest barriers, and how can they be overcome?
• How do organizations balance automation with governance and trust?

Our opening episode—now live—features SAP’s Peter Maier, responsible for Strategic Customer Engagements in the Office of the CEO at SAP, who brings these ideas into focus through practical, real-world context. In our conversation, he outlines how organizations are moving beyond experimentation toward measurable outcomes, more trusted and predictive decision-making, and scaling AI across the enterprise.

What we found particularly compelling is how clearly this reinforces a broader shift already underway: AI is no longer something applied on top of the business. It is becoming part of how the business runs.

How companies can get started

While the vision is ambitious, the path to becoming an Autonomous Enterprise does not require a “big bang” transformation. The most effective approach is incremental and outcome driven.

Organizations can begin by focusing on a single high-value process, making it more intelligent, more automated, and more transparent. From there, they can expand step by step, scaling what works and continuously demonstrating measurable impact.

Success depends on more than technology, though. Trust plays a central role. Employees, executives, and stakeholders must understand and trust how AI decisions are made. This requires transparent and explainable systems, reliable high-quality data foundations, and strong governance frameworks embedded from the start.

Change management is equally critical. Becoming an Autonomous Enterprise is as much about people as it is about platforms. Organizations must align training, redesign roles, and empower employees to co-create how AI is integrated into their work.

A shared journey forward

The Autonomous Enterprise is not a branding concept. It is a new way of running a business—one that is more automated, more data-driven, and ultimately more resilient. And no organization will navigate this journey alone.

That is the spirit behind this podcast. We want it to be a platform for shared learning, bringing together perspectives from across industries, functions, and geographies. Whether you are just beginning your AI journey or scaling enterprise-wide transformation, we hope these conversations give you practical insights and inspiration.

We would love for you to join us. Listen in, engage with the discussion, give feedback, and help shape what comes next.

Benedikt Gieger is AI strategy lead for SAP Supply Chain Management.
Julia Kloppenburg is a technology consultant for Customer Engagement & Adoption at SAP.