What are the most innovative companies? For 2015 there are several lists you can find with a quick internet search. Every list is compiled differently. Here are 3 lists with their top 10 innovative companies

Fast Company had a list based on their own research: http://www.fastcompany.com/section/most-innovative-companies-2015

  1. Warb Parker
  2. Apple
  3. Alibaba
  4. Google
  5. Instagram
  6. Color of Change
  7. HBO
  8. Virgin America
  9. IndiGo
  10. Slack

 

Boston Consulting is doing a list of the most innovative companies for several years. They interview 1500 experts. https://www.bcgperspectives.com/content/articles/growth-lean-manufacturing-innovation-in-2015/

  1. Apple
  2. Google
  3. Tesla
  4. Microsoft
  5. Samsung
  6. Toyota
  7. BMW
  8. Gilead
  9. Amazon
  10. Daimler

 

And finally Sqoop has a list of the most innovative companies based on the successful patent applications: http://uk.businessinsider.com/ranking-of-the-15-most-innovative-companies-in-the-world-2015-12?IR=T

  1. Samsung
  2. IBM
  3. Canon
  4. LG
  5. Google
  6. Qualcomm
  7. Toshiba
  8. Sony
  9. Microsoft
  10. Panasonic

 

You can find several more lists. Some will look at specific industries. Some will focus on start-ups.

What is clear to me is that there is no one definition of „innovation“. Every list has a different way for the selection of the innovative companies. For me innovation has to be something new which has measurable impact. I think it is difficult to create a ranking as the impact can be very different. From revenues to new business models or processes. There is no one criteria.

But there is an interesting observation looking at the lists above. Only one company is listed on all three of them: Google (or should it better say Alphabet by now). That is telling something – and it might not be a coincidence that Alphabet just became the most valuable company.

Picture: Leipzig no9 / 2015 – Ingo Hoffmann – All rights reserved.
More pictures: www.garlerie-hoffmann.net