Apple is World’s Most Innovative Company Four Years In a Row

In the annual Business Week survey, Apple finishes first again as the world’s most innovative Company for four years in a row. Google took the second in the top 50 list.

The earlier lists of the 50 most innovative companies was obtained only by asking the executives from companies worldwide to vote for the most pioneering companies in the last year. But this year’s list has added three other financial measures to see how innovations are working for the company financially. The survey by Boston Consulting Group, sent to more than 2,500 global corporations, Business Week readers from senior management and members from Market Advisory Board, got an 80 per cent weighting to compile this top 50 innovative companies list. The three year revenue and three year margin growth each got 5 per cent weighting and stock returns of the companies were weighted 10 per cent. Based on this new weighting system, Apple still retained the number one position as the "World’s Most Admired Company," followed by Google at number two and Toyota Motor came at number three. General Electric took the fourth spot and Microsoft was number five in the survey. The new entrants to the top list were Tata Group, which purchased Jaguar and Rolls Royce from Ford recently, and Nintendo with their highly successful product Wii. The list shows how these companies have fared well despite the recession and low sales in the marketplace; they maintained their investment in research in creating new products and kept on turning innovative products. Eric Schmidt, chairman and CEO of Google (GOOG), No. 2 on this list told Business Week: "Strong companies understand this, and during a recession, they invest…And they get pummeled for it: `How could you do this? You're arrogant. The world is falling apart.'" Their investment paid off with record revenues for the companies and increased stock marked value for their shareholders. Innovation pays off in every market condition. Here is the top ten list: 1.) APPLE USA North America 2.) GOOGLE USA North America 3.) TOYOTA MOTOR Japan Asia 4.) GENERAL ELECTRIC USA North America 5.) MICROSOFT USA North America 6.) TATA GROUP India Asia 7.) NINTENDO Japan Asia 8.) PROCTER & GAMBLE USA North America 9.) SONY Japan Asia 10.) NOKIA Finland Europe Click here for the full list.