The Language That Won’t Die

In an industry obsessed with the next big thing, few technologies have the endurance of COBOL. Born in 1959, COBOL (Common Business-Oriented Language) predates the internet, personal computers, and even the moon landing. And yet, it continues to power much of the world’s critical infrastructure. From banking networks and insurance claims to healthcare billing and government benefits, COBOL is not a relic—it’s a backbone. Quietly, it processes the world’s most sensitive and high-volume workloads every single day. The question isn’t why COBOL is still here. It’s why it continues to thrive—and what that means for your IT roadmap.

The Numbers Behind COBOL’s Endurance

The scale of COBOL in today’s economy is hard to ignore:

• 220+ billion lines of active COBOL code worldwide.

• 70–80% of business transactions touch COBOL at some point.

• 30+ billion COBOL transactions are processed every single day.

This isn’t forgotten legacy code sitting on a shelf—it’s mission-critical infrastructure. The systems that move money, settle insurance claims, process hospital records, and run manufacturing lines are still overwhelmingly written in COBOL. Why? Because replacing them isn’t simply “upgrading code.” It’s rewriting decades of embedded business rules, passing regulatory audits, retraining staff, and absorbing enormous operational risk. In a world chasing agility, COBOL survives because it delivers something rarer: predictability at scale.

Why Enterprises Still Rely on COBOL

1. Stability Over Novelty
   COBOL systems have decades of uptime behind them. They run 24/7 with minimal failure—vital in industries where outages mean lost revenue, fines, or risks to public safety.

2. Deep Integration
   Banking settlements, claims adjudication, and logistics tracking all depend on COBOL’s tight coupling with mainframes, schedulers, and databases. Pull one piece out, and the entire workflow can collapse.

3. The Cost Equation
   A full rewrite can run into the tens of millions. Add downtime, retraining, and compliance hurdles, and the ROI is rarely favorable.

4. Regulatory Entrenchment
   COBOL systems are certified and audit-proven. Replacing them often means reopening compliance processes—a nightmare for industries like finance and healthcare.

5. Institutional Knowledge in Code
   COBOL systems encode decades of business rules, often undocumented. Replacing them means relearning your business logic from scratch—a task more cultural than technical.

Simply put: COBOL isn’t hanging on despite its age. It’s thriving because, for certain workloads, it remains the lowest-risk option available.

Where COBOL Still Reigns Supreme

• Banking & Financial Services
  Powers core banking, ATM networks, fraud detection, and payment rails. North American banks alone spend $11.8B annually modernizing COBOL systems.

• Healthcare & Insurance
  Manages eligibility checks, billing, and public health programs. California’s Medi-Cal committed $220M to modernize its COBOL-based eligibility engine.

• Manufacturing
  Runs legacy MRP systems and even production-line controllers. Modernizing a single plant line can cost $850K–$4.2M, so gradual upgrades are the norm.

• Government
  Tax processing, unemployment benefits, and defense logistics all lean on COBOL. The U.S. GAO flagged 10 federal systems still running COBOL, costing $337M annually in upkeep.

These industries aren’t behind—they’re risk-aware. For them, COBOL is not a weakness. It’s a strategic safeguard.

The Real Risk: People, Not Code

COBOL itself works just fine. The real problem is the human layer.

• The Retirement Cliff – Nearly 70% of COBOL programmers are due to retire by 2025.

• Knowledge Loss – Decades of undocumented business rules risk disappearing with them.

• Talent Gap – Universities don’t teach COBOL, and younger developers avoid it, citing outdated tools and limited career prospects.

This creates “human technical debt.” Even bulletproof systems become fragile if no one can maintain them. That fragility is already surfacing: during the COVID-19 crisis, some U.S. states publicly begged for COBOL programmers to keep unemployment systems afloat.

What This Means for Your IT Strategy

COBOL isn’t going anywhere soon—but your strategy around it must evolve. CIOs and CTOs face a clear challenge: how to modernize without destabilizing mission-critical systems.

Here’s the path forward:

1. Stabilize the Present

• Audit COBOL systems

• Automate documentation

• Build failover protocols

• Create knowledge-transfer programs before retirements hit

2. Build a Skills Bridge

• Pair senior COBOL experts with younger developers

• Incentivize COBOL upskilling internally

• Use AI-powered assistants to accelerate onboarding and reduce dependency on shrinking expertise

3. Wrap, Don’t Replace

• Use APIs and middleware to expose COBOL functions to modern systems

• Integrate with mobile apps, cloud analytics, and AI without touching the core logic

4. Refactor Strategically

• Selectively modernize high-change areas like reporting or customer interfaces

• Extract business rules into decision engines for reuse in modern applications

5. Leverage AI and Emulation

• Use AI-driven code converters to assist migration (with strict validation)

• Run COBOL in containers or emulators for cloud flexibility and reduced mainframe dependency

For years, SAP has been the trusted backbone of enterprise operations, running mission-critical processes for companies like Unilever, Siemens, and Mercedes-Benz. But the way businesses consume technology is changing — and so is SAP.

With RISE with SAP, the company is offering a new approach: a single, subscription-based package that bundles everything a business needs to migrate to the cloud, modernize operations, and become what SAP calls an “intelligent enterprise.”

From On-Premise to the Cloud — Without the Headaches

Traditionally, moving from SAP ECC (or any legacy ERP) to the next-generation S/4HANA required multiple vendors, separate infrastructure contracts, and a significant IT coordination effort. RISE with SAP simplifies this by combining:

• SAP S/4HANA Cloud – the digital core, available in a private edition (for tailored migrations) or public edition (for standardized, fast deployments).

• SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP) – credits for building custom apps, integrations, and AI-driven workflows.

• Business Process Intelligence (powered by SAP Signavio) – tools that let businesses map their processes, find inefficiencies, and benchmark against industry best practices.

• SAP Business Network Starter Pack – access to SAP’s procurement, logistics, and asset intelligence networks for better supplier collaboration.

• Managed Cloud Infrastructure – hosted on hyperscalers like AWS, Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud, with SAP managing the operations.

• Migration Tools and Services – using SAP Activate methodology to guide businesses step by step.

In short, RISE with SAP removes much of the complexity of digital transformation by putting software, infrastructure, and services under a single contract — with SAP as the accountable partner.

Why Companies Are Signing On

Enterprises across industries are seeing the benefits. Microsoft migrated some of its internal finance systems to S/4HANA in the cloud. Coca-Cola İçecek, one of the world’s largest Coca-Cola bottlers, used RISE with SAP to streamline operations across 11 countries. Even smaller manufacturers are leveraging it to scale faster and access technologies like AI-driven demand forecasting and predictive maintenance.

The key benefits often cited include:

• Simplification – no more managing multiple vendors or data center operations.

• Speed & Innovation – regular updates and faster access to features like embedded analytics, machine learning, and automation.

• Agility – the ability to pivot operations quickly, whether scaling production or entering new markets.

• Cost Predictability – moving from capital-heavy IT investments to a predictable subscription model.

• Data-Driven Process Optimization – using Signavio insights to redesign processes for efficiency.

The Bigger Picture

RISE with SAP is more than a product bundle — it’s SAP’s strategy to keep its vast customer base engaged as the software world shifts to the cloud. Competitors like Oracle NetSuite, Infor, and Microsoft Dynamics 365 are chasing the same enterprise customers with cloud-first solutions.

By offering RISE, SAP positions itself not just as a software vendor but as a transformation partner. For companies facing pressure to modernize quickly — whether due to supply chain disruption, rising costs, or global competition — RISE provides a curated, lower-risk path to get there.

The SAP S/4HANA migration market is one of the fastest-growing segments in enterprise software today. With the 2027 deadline for SAP ECC’s mainstream maintenance looming, companies across industries are racing to modernize their ERP systems. This rush is fueling not only a massive technology shift but also an unprecedented demand for skilled SAP consultants, cloud migration experts, and ERP project managers.

Market Size and Growth

The numbers behind the S/4HANA market are striking. Analysts estimate the 2024 market size for SAP S/4HANA applications at $5.2 billion to $26.3 billion, depending on whether you include surrounding services such as implementation, training, and managed support.

Looking ahead, the market shows no signs of slowing down:

• $16 billion by 2033 – projected value for the core S/4HANA application market.

• $60+ billion by 2030 – when including SAP HANA and the full ecosystem of partners, services, and integrations.

This growth is not just about software licenses — it’s about a full-scale transformation of enterprise operations worldwide.

The Migration Wave

At the heart of this market boom is the mass migration of roughly 30,000 SAP ECC customers who must convert to S/4HANA before 2027. This migration wave represents one of the largest coordinated IT shifts in history, creating a surge in:

• Implementation projects – large-scale rollouts of new ERP systems.

• Consulting opportunities – guiding enterprises through process redesign and change management.

• Cloud adoption – many organizations are using this transition to move to SAP S/4HANA Cloud or hyperscaler platforms like AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud.

Adoption Trends & Real-World Examples

As of mid-2025, 28,000+ companies are running S/4HANA — and the list includes some of the biggest names in global business:

• Walmart – modernizing finance and supply chain management with S/4HANA.

• Amazon – leveraging S/4HANA for global inventory and logistics optimization.

• Apple – streamlining manufacturing operations and financial consolidation.

• Siemens, Nestlé, Unilever – investing in long-term ERP transformation roadmaps.

Even with these headline-grabbing projects, only 37% of SAP customers worldwide had purchased S/4HANA licenses by 2024, meaning most migrations are still ahead. Adoption is highest in IT & Services (22%) and Software (6%), with the U.S., India, and Germany leading the charge geographically.

Competitive Landscape

SAP S/4HANA commands about 10.19% of the global ERP market, putting it in fierce competition with Microsoft Dynamics 365, Workday, and Oracle NetSuite. Beyond the core software, a vast $89+ billion services market has emerged for S/4HANA implementations, upgrades, and ongoing support. Key players — including Deloitte, Capgemini, Accenture, and SAP’s own consulting arm — are scaling their teams and hiring aggressively to meet surging client demand.

Bottom Line

The S/4HANA migration market in 2025 is not just large — it’s accelerating. With less than two years left before ECC support ends, thousands of enterprises still need to migrate. For SAP customers, this is a crucial moment to lock in roadmaps and resources. For technology professionals, integrators, and consultants, the opportunity is enormous — offering years of project work and career growth in one of the most significant enterprise IT transitions of the decade.

As of early September 2025, SAP has doubled down on artificial intelligence, sovereign cloud services, and high-profile acquisitions in an effort to strengthen its position as a global enterprise software leader. The company’s latest announcements highlight its ambition to combine innovation with digital sovereignty, while addressing ongoing customer concerns about cloud migration.

Driving AI Innovation

SAP’s generative AI copilot, Joule, is expanding rapidly across its business application portfolio. The newest updates introduce AI agents for supply chain, finance, and procurement, while also embedding Joule into Microsoft Teams and Microsoft 365 Copilot. These integrations aim to streamline workflows and enhance everyday productivity for users.

For developers, SAP is enhancing its Business Technology Platform (BTP) with AI-assisted tools. Additions to SAP Build and SAP HANA Cloud are designed to simplify the creation of custom AI applications and strengthen data integration, giving development teams more flexibility and speed.

Reinforcing Cloud and Data Sovereignty

A central theme of SAP’s strategy is sovereign cloud expansion in Europe. The company announced an investment of over €20 billion to boost digital independence and foster AI innovation in the region.

SAP also unveiled a new “Sovereign Cloud On-Site” service, enabling customers to run cloud workloads directly in their own data centers. Managed by SAP-certified staff, this offering promises greater control, compliance, and data sovereignty.

At the same time, SAP continues to push its S/4HANA Cloud migration agenda. While customers have been given more time to transition from on-premise solutions, challenges around costs, complexity, and readiness persist.

Expanding Through Acquisitions and Partnerships

In August, SAP confirmed plans to acquire SmartRecruiters, an AI-driven talent acquisition platform. The move will strengthen SAP SuccessFactors HCM by enhancing recruiting and hiring capabilities.

SAP is also entering the fast lane with a partnership with the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula 1 team, which will leverage SAP’s Cloud ERP to improve performance and data-driven decision-making.

Other recent collaborations include:

• Alibaba – hosting SAP cloud workloads in China

• AWS and NVIDIA – joint initiatives to accelerate enterprise AI adoption

Other Key Developments

• Maintenance Fee Adjustments: Beginning January 1, 2026, SAP will link support contract fees to the Consumer Price Index (CPI), with a maximum annual increase of 5%.

• Security Updates: In August, SAP released patches for several critical vulnerabilities, including high-severity issues affecting its Graphical User Interface (GUI).

• Customer Sentiment: Despite SAP’s AI and cloud-first vision, many customers remain cautious. Concerns center on pricing transparency, migration difficulties with RISE, and reduced focus on on-premise solutions.

SAP CEO Christian Klein believes Europe should avoid replicating the U.S.’s large-scale AI infrastructure expansion. In his view, a European version of the massive “Stargate” initiative wouldn't offer as much value as focusing on the practical deployment of AI in key industries.

Klein shared his thoughts during a recent media interview, responding to European proposals to build five AI “gigafactories.” These large data centers, which many cities are now competing to host, aim to bolster the continent's AI capabilities. But Klein remains unconvinced that this kind of buildout is necessary.

The Commoditization of AI Models

Klein argues that large language models (LLMs), despite their high training demands, are rapidly becoming commoditized. He cites the surprising success of Chinese company DeepSeek, which launched a model that rivals offerings from OpenAI and Google — and did so without massive infrastructure.

Instead of matching U.S. spending, Klein suggests that Europe should focus on industry-specific AI applications, particularly in sectors like automotive and chemicals. According to him, targeted innovation would deliver far more value than building an expensive AI superstructure.

Fragmented Progress Already Underway

This approach is already taking root across Europe, though in a fragmented way. For example:

• Juvoly is advancing AI speech recognition in Dutch.

• Silo AI, a Finnish company recently acquired by AMD, is building multilingual LLMs for the Nordic region.

• Cradle, a startup in the biotech space, is developing tools to make biology programmable through AI.

However, in the automotive sector — a priority area for Klein — Europe appears to be falling behind. Klein may well prefer to see the EU’s €20 billion AI infrastructure fund redirected toward innovations in battery technology or autonomous vehicles, though these are also areas where Europe is struggling to keep pace.

The Investment Gap Is Stark

The contrast in ambition between Europe and the U.S. is hard to ignore. American tech giants have laid out plans to spend up to $500 billion on the “Stargate” project alone. Meanwhile, Europe’s commitment stands at just €20 billion for its proposed five AI centers — a 20-fold difference.

This gap was highlighted again during Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s recent visit to Europe. Huang warned that Europe’s AI progress is being throttled by limited computing power and announced plans to expand Nvidia’s hardware footprint across the continent. Naturally, Nvidia stands to benefit from such expansion — the demand for GPUs, the "pickaxes" of the AI gold rush, drives their value sky-high.

The Case for Strategic Autonomy

Even so, should Europe ignore Huang’s warnings? Not entirely. At the very least, it would be prudent for Europe to ensure it can meet rising demand for AI applications domestically — even if that means relying on U.S.-based cloud services and chips.

Klein’s viewpoint aligns with the broader debate over Europe’s digital sovereignty. Earlier this year, he called plans to build European cloud infrastructure to compete with U.S. hyperscalers “nonsensical,” citing high energy costs that make such ventures economically unattractive. That challenge still looms, even as Europe aspires to take a leading role in AI.

In short, Klein’s argument is not against AI — it’s about being smart with how Europe invests in it. Rather than duplicating U.S.-style infrastructure, he believes the continent should play to its strengths, channeling funds into real-world applications that offer immediate and strategic value.

At SAP Sapphire 2025, SAP unveiled a major step forward in its sustainability ambitions, launching a suite of AI-driven tools for ESG management, carbon reporting, and compliance. These new solutions aim to streamline environmental oversight for enterprises, embedding sustainability into the heart of business operations.

The German enterprise software giant introduced a new data unification platform, promising to simplify ESG compliance and carbon accounting across complex corporate structures. Announced on May 23 during SAP’s annual flagship event held across multiple global locations, these innovations are part of SAP’s broader strategy to elevate sustainability data to the same level of importance as financial and operational metrics.

AI-Powered Compliance: From Paperwork to Proactive Insights

Set for beta release in August 2025, SAP’s enhanced Business AI capabilities will support a range of applications in environmental, health, and safety (EHS) as well as product compliance. These tools aim to reduce manual effort, accelerate processes, and improve accuracy.

One standout feature is the AI-powered permit management functionality in SAP S/4HANA for EHS, which automatically extracts key information from regulatory documents and suggests follow-up actions—essentially acting as a digital advisor for sustainability professionals.

Other enhancements include:

• Conversational Safety Reporting: With the help of Joule, SAP’s AI copilot, employees can now submit incident reports using a chat-based interface, speeding up health and safety workflows.

• Smart Safety Instruction Generator: AI analyzes risk assessments to suggest relevant safety measures.

• Automated Product Compliance: AI extracts and maps data from certifications and safety sheets, minimizing errors and boosting efficiency.

These innovations are being bundled into SAP’s new SCM premium package, reflecting a growing focus on embedding AI into everyday business processes.

Real-World Applications: AI in Action

SAP’s AI tools are already supporting customers in real-world sustainability use cases:

• Sustainability Control Tower: Helps streamline ESG reporting with editable templates, generative text, and data visualizations.

• Sustainability Footprint Management: Uses AI to automate emissions mapping, matching products to lifecycle data with confidence scoring.

• SAP Green Token: Automates validation of supplier declarations (such as ISCC certifications), giving businesses clear visibility into the sustainability of their supply chains.

According to SAP Chief Sustainability Officer Sophia Mendelsohn, businesses that fail to integrate sustainability into their AI initiatives risk falling behind. “Sustainability is emerging as one of the most impactful enterprise applications for AI,” she said.

What’s Coming Next: The Roadmap for 2025

Later this year, SAP plans to integrate its Sustainability Control Tower into the SAP Business Data Cloud, transforming it into an Intelligent Application that unifies operational and sustainability data on a single platform. This integration aims to give companies consistent, enterprise-wide reporting and decision-making capabilities.

Other upcoming releases include:

• Structured emissions data (air, water, wastewater) from SAP EHS and S/4HANA.

• Expanded datasets available through Sustainability Footprint Management for cloud users.

• Early access previews for selected customers ahead of general availability.

Bridging Strategy and Execution with AI

SAP’s 2025 announcements reflect a strategic pivot—moving beyond tools and dashboards to embed sustainability into core operations. Gunther Rothermel, Co-GM and Chief Product Officer at SAP Sustainability, emphasized the shift: “These changes go well beyond technical updates. They represent a strategic shift: scaling sustainability within the core of business operations, powered by AI.”

SAP’s ultimate goal is to turn sustainability data into “decision-grade” intelligence—on par with financial reporting. Whether these new AI tools can close the execution gap many companies face in their ESG efforts will depend on adoption and outcomes. But with these launches, SAP has clearly positioned itself as a frontrunner in the next generation of enterprise sustainability solutions.

As nations intensify efforts to combat climate change, the global spotlight is increasingly focused on hydrogen as a clean energy carrier — and Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cells are emerging as a leading technology in this transition. With high energy efficiency, scalability, and zero emissions at the point of use, PEM fuel cells are seeing growing adoption across transportation, industrial, and energy sectors.

In particular, China is becoming a major hub for PEM fuel cell development, creating an urgent and rapidly expanding demand for specialized talent — especially Fuel Cell Control Experts.

What Are PEM Fuel Cells and Why Do They Matter?

Proton Exchange Membrane (also called Polymer Electrolyte Membrane) fuel cells generate electricity through an electrochemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, producing only water and heat as byproducts. Unlike combustion engines, PEM fuel cells operate silently, emit no pollutants, and offer a fast response to load changes, making them ideal for mobile and distributed energy applications.

They are especially suitable for:

• Fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) — buses, trucks, and cars

• Backup and off-grid power systems

• Material handling equipment like forklifts

• Portable and military power solutions

Why the Sector Is Booming

1. China’s Hydrogen Push

China has made hydrogen a strategic priority in its national energy strategy. Cities and provinces are rolling out ambitious hydrogen roadmaps, aiming to build thousands of hydrogen refueling stations and put tens of thousands of FCVs on the road by 2030.

This aligns with China’s dual goals of reducing urban air pollution and achieving carbon neutrality by 2060.

2. Government Incentives and Industrial Policy

Generous government subsidies, infrastructure investment, and joint ventures between domestic firms and global fuel cell companies have accelerated technology deployment and commercial adoption.

3. Decentralized Energy Systems

PEM fuel cells are being adopted beyond transportation, including in telecom towers, residential buildings, and emergency backup systems — all of which benefit from clean, quiet, and reliable energy.

The Critical Need for Fuel Cell Control Expertise

As PEM fuel cell systems become more widespread and complex, their performance, safety, and reliability hinge on advanced control systems.

Fuel Cell Control Experts are vital in the following ways:

• System Optimization: They design and fine-tune the balance of plant (BoP) — including air supply, cooling, and hydrogen management.

• Safety Management: They implement fault detection, thermal control, and pressure regulation to prevent system failure.

• Software & Embedded Systems: Experts develop real-time control algorithms and integrate software with the fuel cell stack, vehicle systems, or grid interfaces.

• Diagnostics & Prognostics: Predictive maintenance and degradation modeling are crucial for system longevity and commercial viability.

As systems scale from lab prototypes to mass-market deployment, the sophistication of control architecture becomes a make-or-break factor.

Talent Gap and Industry Implications

Despite the urgency, there is a global shortage of professionals with deep experience in PEM fuel cell control — particularly in China, where demand has outpaced local training and expertise development. Many companies are:

• Expanding internal training programs

• Partnering with universities and research institutes

• Recruiting internationally to fill knowledge gaps

The pressure to commercialize fuel cell vehicles and infrastructure within tight policy timelines is intensifying the need for skilled engineers, especially those with cross-disciplinary knowledge in electrochemistry, control systems, embedded hardware, and software integration.

What’s Next?

As the energy transition accelerates, PEM fuel cell control experts are becoming indispensable across industries. Their work not only ensures system safety and efficiency but also enables scalability — which is critical for widespread adoption.

In the coming years, we can expect:

• Increased international collaboration to address talent shortages

• Growing investment in education and upskilling programs

• More career opportunities in hydrogen hubs like China, Germany, Japan, and the U.S.

Proton Exchange Membrane fuel cells are no longer emerging tech — they’re becoming a core component of the clean energy landscape. As China and other major economies push forward with hydrogen infrastructure and fuel cell vehicle deployment, the demand for control system expertise will only intensify.

For engineers, researchers, and technologists, now is the time to engage. The future of clean energy will be shaped not only by chemistry and hardware — but by the software and control systems that make PEM fuel cells run safely, efficiently, and at scale.

If you are a specialist in this field and looking to make a meaningful impact in the next phase of clean energy innovation, we invite you to explore current opportunities. Submit your CV for active roles in this sector at: https://www.icautochina.com/job-search/22-fuel-cell-sealing-expert-contract-job-china/senior-engineering-expat-contracts/baoding/job

China is accelerating its emergence as a global technological powerhouse, largely driven by an ambitious surge in research and development (R&D) capacity. At the heart of this transformation is a rapidly expanding class of STEM PhD holders, many of whom are shaping the future of automotive innovation and other advanced industries.

While China’s progress inspires admiration, it also raises questions among international observers — particularly in the United States — about the implications for global technological leadership, economic security, and national competitiveness.

A Surge in STEM PhDs: Quantity with Rising Quality

According to a 2021 report by Georgetown University’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET), China is expected to produce over 77,000 STEM PhDs annually by 2025, nearly twice the number of the U.S., and more than triple when excluding U.S. international students. This rapid expansion is the product of deliberate national strategy: since the early 2000s, China has opened over 1,300 new PhD programs and nearly doubled its higher education budget between 2012 and 2021.

Although skeptics argue that "more" does not always mean "better," the quality of Chinese doctoral education is also on the rise, particularly within its top-tier “Double First Class” universities. These institutions now produce nearly half of the country’s PhDs and are key to China’s global research contributions, particularly in AI, materials science, and engineering.

The Automotive Sector: A National Priority

R&D engineers with doctoral degrees are in exceptionally high demand in China’s automotive sector, which is undergoing a massive transformation fueled by government policy and market pressure. Areas of urgent recruitment include:

• Autonomous Driving & AI Models

• Electric Drive & Battery Management Systems

• Intelligent Cockpits & Infotainment

• Crash Analysis, EE System Engineering

• Hydrogen Fuel Cell and Advanced Lighting

These engineers are not just developing technologies — they are leading them. PhD holders often serve as principal investigators, system architects, and innovation leaders, translating cutting-edge science into commercial products for OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers.

Exceptional Incentives and Global Opportunities

To attract global experts, Chinese companies and research parks are offering one- to five-year contracts, full relocation support, and salaries well above global averages, particularly for those with OEM or Tier 1 experience. The financial packages often include housing, healthcare, education for children, and bonuses tied to project success.

For foreign STEM PhDs, China represents both opportunity and challenge — a dynamic environment where R&D teams are large, well-funded, and increasingly competitive. Many roles are open to international candidates, especially in innovation hubs like Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and Wuhan.

A Talent Race with Global Consequences

As Yojana Sharma noted in University World News, the U.S. is now reassessing its position in the global "war for talent." Historically, U.S. dominance in research has relied on its ability to attract and retain foreign PhD talent, especially from Asia. But with rising concerns over immigration policy, national security, and foreign student restrictions, that edge may be eroding.

Meanwhile, China’s self-sufficiency strategy continues to bear fruit. The majority of Chinese STEM PhDs are domestic nationals trained at home, many of whom now choose to stay and work in China rather than seek opportunities abroad. With the number of top-tier Chinese PhDs rising — especially in engineering and AI — the foundation for long-term innovation leadership is being laid.

Conclusion: Talent Is the True Technology

While the U.S.–China rivalry in technology often centers on hardware or patents, the real race is for human capital — the minds capable of building the future. PhD-level R&D engineers are the vanguard of this movement. In China, they are empowered with resources, respected as thought leaders, and tasked with executing one of the most ambitious national innovation agendas in modern history.

For the world, this signals a shift. For R&D professionals, it presents a unique window of opportunity. If you are a doctorate-level engineer with expertise in cutting-edge automotive technologies and are ready to take your career to the next level in China, we invite you to apply by submitting your CV to our current job offerings: https://www.icautochina.com/job-search/19-doctoral-contract-jobs-china-250k-350k-pa/technical-rd-consultant/shanghai/job

Microsoft has launched a broad initiative to strengthen its cloud and artificial intelligence infrastructure across Europe, signaling a major investment in the region’s digital future.

Over the next two years, the company plans to expand its European data center capacity by 40%, as part of a longer-term goal to double its presence across 16 countries by 2027. This effort is tied to five new digital pledges focused on reinforcing Europe’s digital sovereignty, enhancing cybersecurity, and driving innovation and economic development.

Localized Cloud Solutions and Data Sovereignty

As part of the initiative, Microsoft is introducing cloud models specifically tailored to European regulatory and operational needs. This includes sovereign and public cloud options that provide local control over infrastructure and data. Partnerships in key markets such as France and Germany are helping deploy trusted cloud platforms operated by regional providers. Additionally, local partners are being enabled to run Microsoft services on their own infrastructure under favorable terms.

The company is also implementing new measures to address geopolitical risks. These include creating a European board of directors to oversee regional data center operations and integrating a binding Digital Resilience Commitment into government contracts. Building on its EU Data Boundary framework launched in early 2024, Microsoft now offers customers the ability to store and process data entirely within the EU and EFTA, using tools such as encryption, confidential computing, and user-controlled access systems.

Strengthening Cybersecurity and Regulatory Compliance

Microsoft continues to expand its cybersecurity operations across the region. A newly appointed Deputy Chief Information Security Officer for Europe will lead efforts to align with upcoming EU regulations, including the Digital Operational Resilience Act and the Cyber Resilience Act. The company’s approach includes proactive incident reporting, security-by-design practices, and third-party audits to ensure compliance.

Support for Open-Source AI and Innovation

In addition to infrastructure growth, Microsoft is reinforcing its support for open-source development and AI innovation. Its Azure AI platform now hosts over 1,800 models, many of them open-source, enabling European businesses to build and scale AI-driven solutions. This infrastructure is already being used across diverse sectors, from enterprise software to medical research.

Ongoing Commitment to Europe

This expansion reflects Microsoft’s long-term commitment to Europe’s digital ecosystem. With new infrastructure, local partnerships, and a focus on regulatory alignment, the company is positioning itself as a key player in supporting the region’s digital transformation.

A new, serious security flaw has been found in SAP NetWeaver — one of the world’s most widely used business software platforms. Hackers are already exploiting it to break into company systems, even if those systems are fully updated with the latest patches.

Security experts at ReliaQuest discovered the issue earlier this month, after spotting a wave of cyberattacks. In these incidents, hackers were able to sneak malicious files called "webshells" into SAP servers, giving them full remote control over the systems. Alarmingly, this vulnerability hadn’t been reported before, meaning companies had no way to defend against it — what’s known as a "zero-day" flaw.

How Hackers Broke In

The attacks target a specific part of SAP NetWeaver called the metadata uploader, a tool usually meant for helping developers manage files. Hackers found a way to trick this tool into uploading their own files instead — a type of flaw known as Remote File Inclusion (RFI).

Once inside, attackers installed lightweight webshells named helper.jsp and cache.jsp. These programs allowed them to run any command they wanted on the server just by sending simple web requests, like visiting a hidden webpage. From there, they could steal data, install more malware, or cause other serious damage.

The webshells used in the attacks were based on freely available code, making them easy for hackers to deploy and hard for defenders to spot.

What Hackers Did Next

Once they had access, hackers escalated their attack by bringing in a dangerous hacking tool called Brute Ratel. It’s a commercial program designed to control infected computers, steal passwords, and move deeper into networks — all while staying hidden from security software.

The attackers cleverly wrote code to a simple text file, moved it into a Windows system folder, and then built it into a working program using a built-in Microsoft tool. They then used Brute Ratel to inject hidden malware into the computer's memory, avoiding detection.

Hackers also used a sneaky method called Heaven’s Gate, which tricks the system by switching between 32-bit and 64-bit operations, making it even harder for security tools to catch them.

Why This Matters

This vulnerability is especially worrying because it affects SAP NetWeaver — a platform critical to many major companies and government agencies. Even fully updated systems were successfully hacked, suggesting that this is either a brand-new flaw or a twist on an older one.

There’s also a possibility that initial access brokers — hackers who break in and then sell access to others — are involved. While no evidence of sales has been found yet, SAP NetWeaver is often discussed in underground forums, so the risk is very real.

What Companies Should Do Now

Security experts urge organizations using SAP NetWeaver to act immediately:

• Turn off the Visual Composer tool and the development server feature if they are not essential.

• Block access to the vulnerable metadata uploader with strict firewall rules.

• Closely monitor server logs for unusual file uploads, especially in certain SAP directories.

• Scan for known webshells, particularly helper.jsp and cache.jsp.

This incident highlights how vulnerable even critical business systems can be to zero-day attacks. Companies are strongly encouraged to tighten their defenses, apply all possible security measures, and stay alert for signs of intrusions while experts continue to investigate the full extent of the issue.