German tech giant SAP is planning to hire hundreds of people with autism, according to a news release issued by the company on Tuesday. SAP says that it will work with Specialisterne, which translates from Danish as “The Specialists,” to hire people with autism as software testers, programmers and data quality assurance specialists.

The company believes there is a competitive advantage to utilizing the amazing talents of people with autism, while also assisting them in the process of obtaining gainful employment.

According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, autism is a range of complex neurodevelopment disorders, typified by social impairments, communication issues, and repetitive patterns of behavior. It is believed that one percent of the world’s population is impacted by autism.

SAP says that Specialisterne is a leader in getting the unique talents of people with autism to work in tech jobs like software testing, programming and data management. Specialisterne operates all over the globe and will do so as it helps SAP expand the program around the world over the next few years.

According to Luisa Delgado, member of the Executive Board of SAP, this program will redefine the way the company manages unique talents by focusing on the talents that autistic people have. SAP firmly supports the idea that innovation originates from the “edges.” Only by thinking outside of the box, will the German tech giant be ready to deal with the issues that arise in the 21st century.

Thorkil Sonne, founder of Specialisterne, says that employing autistic people will help improve the tech company’s position as a global leader in innovation.  According to Sonne, SAP is the first multinational company to partner with Specialisterne on a global scale.

SAP says that several pilot projects in India and Ireland proved that this program will help give people with autism the ability to succeed in the areas in which they have unique talents. As a result of hiring six people with autism at SAP Labs in India, the team has improved their productivity and togetherness in key areas.

What do you think of SAP’s plan? Will this plan work? Sound off in the comments section.