The SAP market is entering a phase of unprecedented acceleration. In Europe and globally, growth is no longer incremental it is a true step change. Valued at USD 46.18 billion in 2024, the SAP market is expected to reach USD 92.62 billion by 2033, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.4%. This momentum is driven by the convergence of several deep transformations in enterprise information systems.
The gradual end of SAP ECC, the rapid adoption of public cloud, the widespread move toward hybrid architectures and Clean Core principles, the industrialization of artificial intelligence, growing requirements around digital sovereignty, and the persistent shortage of SAP talent are all accelerating simultaneously. In this context, 2026 stands out as a pivotal year for organizations, marked by strategic decisions that will shape their IT landscapes for the long term.
What are the major SAP trends to anticipate for 2026, and what are the concrete implications for enterprises and their technology partners?
Trend No.1: Migrating from SAP ECC6 to S/4HANA: A Critical Deadline for Large Enterprises
By the end of 2024, approximately 39% of SAP ECC customers had migrated to S/4HANA, representing nearly 14,000 companies out of an estimated base of 35,000 clients. Despite strong incentives from SAP, a significant portion of the market remains behind schedule. According to IDC, between 40% and 45% of organizations will still be running ECC through 2027.
What This Means for 2026
This situation highlights a key reality: not all organizations will have completed their migration by the time standard support ends. As a result, 2026 becomes a critical year to finalize migration strategies particularly for large enterprises running complex, heavily customized SAP landscapes.
Delaying migration is no longer a neutral option. CIOs must now balance technical debt, increased operational risk, and deferred budget pressure. With standard SAP ECC support ending in 2027, organizations are forced to secure their ERP roadmap well in advance.
SAP does offer support extensions, but under strict conditions. Extended maintenance allows ECC to be used until 2030, in exchange for a significant premium and a formal commitment to a S/4HANA migration project, often through offerings such as RISE with SAP. Customer-specific maintenance may then be extended until 2033, but this option is primarily reserved for very large enterprises that are unable to migrate within the required timeframe.
SAP’s and System Integrators’ Response
SAP continues to apply strong pressure on migration timelines while allowing only limited flexibility for organizations with more complex projects. At the same time, system integrators play a pivotal role in securing the transition from ECC to S/4HANA by combining strategic advisory, risk management, and large-scale ERP transformation governance.
Trend No.2: S/4HANA Public Cloud: The New ERP Standard for the Mid-Market
Gartner positions S/4HANA Cloud among the leaders in the cloud ERP market. This recognition reflects a broader trend: the public cloud market in the EMEA region is expected to reach USD 415.1 billion by 2028, with investment levels nearly doubling. SAP is directly aligned with this momentum. Approximately 80% of its customer base consists of small and mid-sized enterprises, for which traditional ERP models are reaching their limits in terms of cost, delivery timelines, and ability to innovate.
What This Means for 2026
For the mid-market, cloud is becoming the default operating model. S/4HANA Public Cloud meets the core expectations of these organizations: a SaaS-based approach, rapid deployment, standardized processes, native Clean Core principles, and direct access to SAP innovations particularly in artificial intelligence.
This model requires a shift in mindset. Companies are willing to reduce customization in favor of faster time-to-value, greater scalability, and continuous delivery of essential business capabilities, from finance to operations.
How Are SAP and System Integrators Adapting ?
SAP is strengthening its public cloud positioning with a strategy clearly focused on small and mid-sized enterprises. System integrators are supporting this transition through shorter implementation projects, strong expertise in process standardization, and rigorous value delivery governance from the earliest stages of the engagement.
Trend No.3: Clean Core and Hybrid Cloud: The Reference Architecture for SAP Landscapes
According to industry analysts, 90% of organizations will adopt a hybrid cloud model by 2027. This trend confirms that cloud adoption is becoming the norm but in forms tailored to business, regulatory, and organizational constraints.
What This Means for 2026
Organizations are increasingly favoring hybrid architectures that combine public cloud, private cloud, and existing on-premise systems. In this context, the Clean Core serves as a common foundation. It enables standardization of the ERP core while preserving the ability to extend functionality through specific business applications without compromising scalability or access to innovation.
Clean Core is essential for the seamless integration of new SAP features, particularly AI-driven capabilities, and it significantly reduces the technical debt accumulated over the years.
SAP and System Integrators’ Response
SAP offers multiple deployment options, on-premise, public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid, all built around a shared Clean Core principle. System integrators act as architects of these hybrid environments, orchestrating extensions, defining governance, and ensuring overall coherence across the IT landscape.
Trend No.4: Artificial Intelligence: SAP Accelerates AI Integration at the Heart of Business Processes
AI investments in Europe are projected to reach USD 144 billion by 2028, with an annual growth rate exceeding 30%. This surge is reshaping enterprise expectations around automation, decision support, and advanced data analytics.
What This Means for 2026
AI budgets are rising rapidly, but organizations now expect concrete use cases fully integrated into business processes. AI is becoming an operational lever, driving performance and informed decision-making, rather than remaining just an innovation topic.
SAP Ecosystem’s Response
With Joule, SAP positions AI as a cross-functional co-pilot, seamlessly connected to enterprise data. Predictive analytics, contextual recommendations, and intelligent automation are integrated directly into SAP processes. At the latest SAP TechEd, several major announcements were made: the introduction of AI agents into the SAP ecosystem, a strengthened partnership with Snowflake for the Business Data Cloud, the rollout of intelligent agents across all business functions, a shift toward practical certification assessments, simplified access to SAP Build, and the launch of the AI Foundation SAP RPT-1 model.
Trend No.5: Digital Sovereignty and the European Cloud: A Strategic Priority for Enterprises
SAP plans to invest over €20 billion in European cloud sovereignty, reflecting a growing recognition that cloud and AI have become economic, technological, and political priorities.
In Germany, SAP has partnered with OpenAI to deliver sovereign AI solutions for the public sector, hosted on Delos Cloud via Azure, with deployment scheduled for 2026. In France, a collaboration with Mistral AI aims to develop ERP and AI solutions tailored to sovereignty requirements, with initial use cases expected as early as 2026.
What This Means for 2026
Digital sovereignty is becoming a key aspect of IT governance. CIOs must incorporate security, compliance, and data residency considerations into their cloud and AI strategies.
How SAP and System Integrators Are Adapting
SAP is developing sovereign cloud offerings and expanding strategic partnerships across Europe. System integrators support this transition by securing architectures, managing data flows, and ensuring regulatory compliance.
Trend No.6: SAP Talent: Ongoing Pressure on Critical Skills
Freelance platforms anticipate a more than 40% increase in SAP-related projects across Europe by 2026. This reflects sustained pressure on SAP, cloud, and AI skill sets.
What This Means for 2026
Organizations are facing a shortage of experienced professionals. The market is shifting toward greater specialization, a growing reliance on freelance talent, and an increased demand for experts who can quickly contribute to complex projects.
Market Response
System integrators are evolving toward more specialized and agile structures. Leveraging freelancers has become both an HR and business strategy, complementing internal teams.
By 2026, SAP will be at the crossroads of several major transformations: ERP modernization, widespread cloud adoption, the industrialization of AI, growing sovereignty requirements, and sustained pressure on talent. For organizations, these shifts demand a clear understanding of the market and strategic decisions that go far beyond purely technological choices.
The directions taken today will directly shape companies’ ability to remain agile, innovative, and secure over the next five to ten years. ERP migration, cloud architecture choices, Clean Core governance, and AI integration must all be part of a coherent, well-managed roadmap.
In this context, relying on a SAP partner capable of combining deep technical expertise, strong business understanding, and a long-term vision becomes a true performance lever.
Are You Preparing Your SAP Strategies to be implemented from 2026 onwards ?
Aymax teams support you in defining and executing SAP roadmaps tailored to your challenges: migration to S/4HANA, public or hybrid cloud, Clean Core, AI, and governance.
Get in touch with our SAP experts to discuss your projects and confidently anticipate the transformations ahead.
FAQ
Why is 2026 a pivotal year for SAP customers ?
2026 marks a tipping point between the planned end of SAP ECC, the widespread adoption of cloud, and the industrialization of AI within business processes. Organizations must define their ERP, cloud, and AI roadmaps before the ECC support deadline or risk accumulating technical debt, operational exposure, and escalating costs.
What are the main risks of staying on SAP ECC after 2026 ?
Remaining on ECC exposes companies to the end of standard support in 2027, high extended maintenance costs, increasing technical debt, and limited access to SAP innovations particularly in cloud, AI, and security.
Why is S/4HANA Public Cloud becoming the standard for SMBs and mid-sized enterprises?
S/4HANA Public Cloud meets mid-market expectations with a SaaS model, rapid deployments, controlled costs, and continuous access to SAP innovation. It prioritizes standardization and Clean Core principles, enabling faster time-tovalue and greater scalability.
