Businessweek has collaborated with Boston Consulting Group to publish their 2010 list of the 50 most innovative companies in the world based on a survey of corporate executives. Here is the full list. It is an interactive table. And here is a slide show commentary on the top 25.
There has been considerable movement in the list from previous years although Apple retains a firm grip on the top spot. China with 4 entries, India with 2 and South Korea with 3 have all increased their showing. Britain has 4 entrants – Virgin, BSkyB, Vodafone and HSBC. Germany has 3 companies in the list and France has none. Here is the list.
| 1 | Apple | U.S. |
| 2 | U.S. | |
| 3 | Microsoft | U.S. |
| 4 | IBM | U.S. |
| 5 | Toyota Motor | Japan |
| 6 | Amazon.com | U.S. |
| 7 | LG Electronics | South Korea |
| 8 | BYD | China |
| 9 | General Electric | U.S. |
| 10 | Sony | Japan |
| 11 | Samsung Electronics | South Korea |
| 12 | Intel | U.S. |
| 13 | Ford Motor | U.S. |
| 14 | Research In Motion | Canada |
| 15 | Volkswagen | Germany |
| 16 | Hewlett-Packard | U.S. |
| 17 | Tata Group | India |
| 18 | BMW | Germany |
| 19 | Coca-Cola | U.S. |
| 20 | Nintendo | Japan |
| 21 | Wal-Mart Stores | U.S. |
| 22 | Hyundai Motor | South Korea |
| 23 | Nokia | Finland |
| 24 | Virgin Group | Britain |
| 25 | Procter & Gamble | U.S. |
| 26 | Honda Motor | Japan |
| 27 | Fast Retailing | Japan |
| 28 | Haier Electronics | China |
| 29 | McDonalds | U.S. |
| 30 | Lenovo | China |
| 31 | Cisco Systems | U.S. |
| 32 | Walt Disney | U.S. |
| 33 | Reliance Industries | India |
| 34 | Siemens | Germany |
| 35 | Dell | U.S. |
| 36 | Nestlé | Switzerland |
| 37 | British Sky Broadcasting | Britain |
| 38 | Vodafone | Britain |
| 39 | JPMorgan Chase | U.S. |
| 40 | Oracle | U.S. |
| 41 | Petrobras | Brazil |
| 42 | Banco Santander | Spain |
| 43 | Fiat | Italy |
| 44 | China Mobile | China |
| 45 | Goldman Sachs | U.S. |
| 46 | Nike | U.S. |
| 47 | HTC | Taiwan |
| 48 | U.S. | |
| 49 | HSBC | Britain |
| 50 | Verizon Communications | U.S. |
The survey methodology is highly subjective and depends on what the survey group perceive as innovative. However, reputations matter and this list gives a powerful indication that the tide of innovation is gradually turning towards the East.
Paul Sloane
