The World's 50 Most Innovative Companies

Businessweek Online ^ | 05/03/2007

[Swordmaker]

Not so long ago, no conversation about innovation would be complete without the story of 3M inventor Art Fry’s eureka moment that led to the Post-it Note. Today, that tale, which verges on cliche, has been almost universally replaced by the story of the iPod, Apple’s omnipresent icon of design.

It should come as little surprise, then, that Apple tops the BusinessWeek-Boston Consulting Group’s list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies for the third year in a row. That sort of staying power speaks volumes about the sort of innovation that matters today. Unlike the Post-it Note, which proves the value of lone inventors, the iPod epitomizes today’s innovation sensibilities. These include the ascendance of design, the focus on the user’s experience, and the power of ecosystems: The iPod is a hit because it works so seamlessly with the iTunes software. The company’s much-anticipated iPhone, which launches in June, will likely keep Apple high on our list next year too.

There are some surprises this year, including four new companies in the top 25—Disney, Boeing, Genentech, and Cisco Systems. In other cases, the resilience of corporate reputation was surprising. Wal-Mart Stores suffers from slow growth, but still commands respect for its supply-chain innovations. Dell wears the brand halo of an innovator for its efficient direct-to-consumer model, though it suffered through a management shakeup and fell from No. 14 to No. 22. And what of 3M? It fell too, from No. 3 in 2006 to No. 7 this year.

[Mr. Jeeves]

It's a BusinessWeek list, so conformity to the Clintonian ideals of diversity and welfare capitalism are probably essential to a firm's inclusion. And size helps. Boeing's engineers have been saying for decades that the place is run identically to Dilbert's company, so one wonders just how much real innovation goes on, aside from an occasional good idea from R&D?

Maybe what this list really points out is how few genuinely innovative larger firms there are aside from Apple and Google - sheer size quickly becomes a limiting factor.

[antiRepublicrat]

Maybe that's an indication of the relative importance of gaming.

It's a seven billion a year industry. Besides, relative to the importance things like crappy coffee (Starbucks, #14)?

Anyway, I finally read the methodology. They just randomly surveyed managers. A good chunk of them probably don't even know what Nintendo's up to.

[helper]

I had a heck of a time getting paid for some items I sold them. I won’t even quote them again, let them pay 30% more and sit on someone else's money.

[ASOC]

“I am a Priate KIng

And it tis, it tis
A wonderful thing

to be a Priate King.”

Play with the big and and get the same crud they hand to the other big boys.

No thanks. And I say that as a former QAE/COTR , procurement offical.

[Swordmaker]

iWeb is great, except I don’t want a .Mac account yet. Any suggestions?

iWeb works with other hosts than .Mac... save to a folder and upload.

[TheBattman]

Actually, if you look at the Doge/Chrysler line over the last few years - LOTS of new (mostly completely new) models.

[Military family member]

Chrysler invented the minivan