Apple Named as Most Innovative Company for Ninth Consecutive Year

Some say Apple is doomed, because it can’t innovate; but for some reason Apple is nearing the sale of its 700 millionth iDevice. And considering that the launch of the iPhone 5s and 5c have set a new record for first-weekend sales, I think the date must be very close. The key to Apple’s success may not be unknown (for those who think Apple’s sales numbers are worrisome), but the majority of senior executives think Apple is the most innovative company of all (via the Wall Street Journal).

The statement comes from Boston Consulting Group’s 2013 “Most Innovative Companies” report, which listed Apple has the No. 1 company for the ninth consecutive year, seconded by Samsung, while Google retained third place.

The 2013 report examines companies and innovation through the lens of what gives successful innovators their edge. For the first time, we asked respondents to rate their companies’ innovation performance relative to their peers in the marketplace. Approximately one-fifth rated their own performance as strong, another fifth assessed their performance as weak, and about 60 percent said it was neutral or average. In addition to comparing the practices of stronger and weaker innovators, we explore five factors that lead to strength in innovation: the commitment of senior management, the ability to leverage intellectual property (IP), a customer focus, strong management of the innovation portfolio, and well-defined and governed processes.

Innovation is the key spice to maintaining a competitive edge in the marketplace, but it’s also difficult to measure. Anyways, here is the list of the top 20 most innovative companies:

1. Apple
2. Samsung
3. Google
4. Microsoft
5. Toyota
6. IBM
7. Amazon
8. Ford
9. BMW
10. General Electric
11. Sony
12. Facebook
13. General Motors
14. Volkswagen
15. Coca-Cola
16. Hewlett-Packard
17. Hyundai
18. Honda
19. Audi
20. Daimler