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Thomson Reuters Top 100 Global Innovators program recognizes the 100 most innovative companies in the world, according to a series of patent-related metrics that get to the essence of what it means to be truly innovative.
According to the researchers patent activity has always been an indicator of innovation. However, innovation comprises much more than mere patent filing volume. As such, they developed a range of metrics based on various facets of innovation that relate to patenting and science. The Thomson Reuters 2011 Top 100 Global Innovators are companies that invent on a significant scale; are working on developments which are acknowledged as innovative by patent offices across the world, and by their peers; and, whose inventions are so important that they seek global protection for them.
Of the 100 companies in the list, which is not ranked and relates to patent activity from 2005-2010, 40 are from America, 27 from Japan and 11 from France. No Chinese companies qualified. The report says this “underscores the fact that although China is leading the world in patent volume, quantity does not equate to influence and quality.”
Key findings and economic influence
- Top 100 Global Innovator companies added over 400,000 new jobs in 2010, a greater percent increase over 2009 than was experienced by the S&P 500
- The Market Cap Weighted Average revenue of the Top 100 Global Innovators increased by 12.9 percent, more than five percent more than the S&P 500 for the same period (2010 vs. 2009)
- Top 100 Global Innovator companies more than doubled the R&D spend of their S&P 500 counterparts
- 74.2 percent of the publicly-traded top 100 innovator companies had an increase in stock price year over year
- The United States leads the world in Semiconductor & Electronic Component Manufacturing
- Asia leads the world in Computer Hardware Manufacturing and Automotive Manufacturing
- Europe leads the world in Machinery Manufacturing and has more than half of the Top 100 Global Innovators in this category in Sweden
- France leads the world in Scientific Research and is the European nation with the most companies represented in the list