Inside SAP’s Barcelona Digital Hub: AI Tools and the Future of Business
What does artificial intelligence look like when it is actually being used at scale in global business? Not in a textbook, not in a case study, but in a real operational environment at one of the world’s largest technology companies?
Students on the Master in Marketing and Communication, Big Data Analytics and Business Intelligence course led by Professor Alex de Frederickz, got to find out first-hand with an exclusive learning walk to the SAP Digital Hub right here in Barcelona.
A Global Tech Giant on Your Doorstep
SAP is the largest enterprise software company in Europe and one of the most influential technology organisations in the world. Its software runs the operations of more than 400,000 businesses globally, touching everything from supply chain management and financial planning to human resources, customer experience and data analytics.
Barcelona is home to one of SAP’s most significant Digital Hubs, a centre where innovation, incubation and client engagement converge. For marketing and communication students studying big data and business intelligence, it is exactly the kind of environment where classroom learning meets the real decisions businesses are making right now.
SAP’s Primary AI Tools in Practice
The focus of the visit was SAP’s primary AI tools and their real-world applications — how artificial intelligence is being embedded into enterprise software to help businesses make better decisions faster, automate complex processes, and extract meaningful insight from large volumes of data.
Students were given an exclusive look at how these tools function in practice, from AI-driven analytics and predictive modelling to intelligent automation and data-powered decision-making. Seeing these tools demonstrated in a live environment, with real business use cases rather than simulated examples, gave students a concrete understanding of what AI in enterprise business actually looks like beyond the hype.
For students studying big data and business intelligence, the visit brought their coursework to life in the most direct way possible. The tools, the data structures, the strategic questions that businesses are trying to answer, all of it was visible in one of the world’s leading technology environments.
A Q&A With Jonathan Soret, Global Director of Innovation and Incubation at SAP
The session included an open Q&A with Jonathan Soret, Global Director of Innovation and Incubation at SAP, based in Barcelona.
Jonathan is a well-known figure in the Barcelona technology and innovation community, with extensive experience in digital transformation, customer experience and enterprise AI. His willingness to engage directly with students, answer their questions honestly, and share his perspective on where the industry is heading made for a session that went well beyond what a lecture or a video could provide.
For students preparing to enter marketing and business roles where data, analytics and AI literacy are increasingly expected, hearing from someone operating at this level was a genuine insight into the direction the industry is moving.
Why This Is What Learning at ESEI Looks Like
This visit is a clear example of what project-based learning at ESEI looks like in practice. The school’s approach is built on the principle that the most valuable education happens at the intersection of academic content and real professional environments.
Barcelona makes this possible in a way that few cities can. The presence of major international companies including SAP, combined with ESEI’s network of industry partners, means that students regularly have access to the kind of experiences that most business school students only read about.
Learning beyond the classroom is not a slogan. It is how the curriculum is designed.
Explore ESEI’s Programmes
👉 If you’re considering starting your own journey in Barcelona, explore ESEI’s Short Courses, Bachelor’s and Master’s and MBA programmes and see how we can support you on your study abroad journey.
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