AI Industry Innovations , Life Sciences & Pharma , Video
How Bayer Uses AI to Optimize Crop Yields
Bijoy Sagar, CIDO, on Bayer's Evolution Into a Cloud-Driven, Data-Powered Company
Guided by its mission of "Health for All, Hunger for None," the Bayer Group - a renowned leader in life sciences - operates through three pivotal business divisions: pharmaceuticals, consumer health and crop science. It comprises 354 consolidated entities spanning 83 countries and employs more than 100,000 people, generating a revenue of approximately $51 billion. Bayer's mission is central to all its technological decisions, placing the customer at the core of its operations.
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In January 2023, Bayer shut down its last data center, migrating the majority of its applications and workloads to the public cloud. It also plans to replace more than 100 localized ERP instances with a consolidated global SAP S/4HANA instance, which is also hosted in the public cloud. With a pioneering stance, the company positions itself as the foremost adopter of Google Cloud Software Development Kit (SDK), harnessing the capabilities of all three major cloud providers for specific workloads.
Bayer is actively developing its proprietary generative AI GPT supported by the robust Microsoft Azure platform - signaling its readiness to become a modern, cloud-driven, data-powered business. "We've transcended the realm of pilot projects in AI deployment," said Bijoy Sagar, chief information technology and digital transformation officer (CIDO) at Bayer. "Our substantial investments are strategically channeled into two to three pivotal use cases aimed at propelling tangible business value. We rigorously assess the return on investment as a guiding principle before prioritizing our AI endeavors."
In this video interview with ISMG, Sagar also discussed:
- The significance of AI initiatives and their value to customers;
- The importance of infrastructure and data in successful AI implementation;
- Establishing a centralized cyber defense center for better threat detection and proactive cybersecurity.
Sagar spearheads technology and digital initiatives across Bayer's global landscape. Prior to joining Bayer, he was the global CIO and member of the executive leadership team at Stryker.
