SAP sets up new $67 million HQ in Ra’anana
New, striking structure is a sign of the German software firm’s faith in the Israeli economy, company says
Shoshanna Solomon was The Times of Israel's Startups and Business reporter
The German multinational software firm SAP has moved into its new NIS 240 million ($67 million) Israeli headquarters in the northern part of the industrial area of Ra’anana: a building with striking, bubble-like shapes marking the exterior of the structure that will be home to its R&D activities in Israel.
The six-story building, spanning 2,900 square meters per floor, was set up by SAP on land it acquired in Israel and is a “sign of faith” in the local economy, its technological prowess and company’s local activities, SAP said in a statement, announcing the move to its new premises.
The structure was designed by Tel Aviv based architects Yashar Architects, whose work in Israel includes the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, the Dizengoff Center and the Mexico building at the Tel Aviv University. This latest project has been constructed in line with global environmental standards, is energy efficient and is low-emissions, the statement said.
The structure has joint seating spaces, peppered with couches, private rooms, a gym, cafeterias and a patio with seating areas and lobbies that connects the various spaces making it accessible and easy to move between the company’s various departments, Avner Yashar, the architect, said in the statement.
SAP Israel serves some 3,400 customers locally among which are the government, the Israeli army and a total of over 220,000 users. SAP Labs, its R&D center, is one of four centers the software firm has around the world and employs some 800 workers and engineers locally, focusing on cloud technologies, computer vision and Internet of Things developments. The center is currently looking to employ experienced programmers for its ranks, the statement said.
