YouBooz & Company published its 2013 Global Innovation 1000 Study.
This year’s list of the most innovative companies reflects the
increasing importance of digitally oriented companies. Apple still is
king.
The 10 Most Innovative Companies in 2013 (2012 rank)
1. Apple (1);
2. Google (2);
3. Samsung (4);
4. Amazon (10);
5. 3M (3);
6. General Electric (5);
7. Microsoft (6);
8. IBM (9);
9. Tesla Motors (-);
10. Facebook (-);
Booz
& Company reports that Apple and Google took top honors for the
fourth consecutive year, but there were some noticeable shake-ups.
Samsung displaced 3M from the number three spot, capping its steady rise
in the rankings. Amazon also made a significant move up, jumping six
spots into fourth place. New to the list this year was Tesla, making its
debut in the number nine slot, and Facebook returned at number 10 after
a hiatus last year.
Apple continues to lead the list, for the
fourth year running. The company boosted its R&D spending by almost
US $1 billion this year, to $3.4 billion, raising its rank among the
Global Innovation 1000 from 53rd to 43rd. Apple has seen its share price
fluctuate significantly, due in part to the fact that its iPhone market
share has come under increasing pressure from Android phones, and that
it has not developed a new killer product in quite a while. Perhaps as a
result, Booz & Company reports just 62 percent of respondents named
Apple as the top innovator this year, down considerably from the 80
percent who did so last year. But the company remains strong, and time
will tell how it responds to rising pressures.
Google held steady
at number two; half of respondents mentioned it, up 7 percentage points
from last year. 3M fell to number five, overtaken by Samsung for the
number three spot. Samsung’s steady climb up the list makes clear that
it is not a mere copier of innovations pioneered by other companies.
With its Galaxy smartphone, Smart TV, and other inventive products, the
company is proving capable of designing devices and equipment almost as
crowd-pleasing as Apple’s. Amazon, meanwhile, leaped from number 10 last
year to number four. The company’s skill as an innovator no longer
rests solely on the new ideas it brings to online retailing; its cloud
service offerings are, by some accounts, more successful than those of
the company’s many rivals.
Surprise entrant Tesla Motors shows up
at number nine, having spent fully two-thirds of its $413 million in
revenue on R&D, typical for a company that’s essentially still in
startup mode.
To see a full copy of this year’s Booz & Company Global Innovation 1000 Study
click here.
Thanks for reading:
Most Innovative Company 2013: Apple Still Is King
