The following is the list of the world's most innovative companies as determined by BusinessWeek and the Boston Consulting Group.
01. Apple
02. Google
03. Toyota Motor
04. General Electric
05. Microsoft
06. Tata Group
07. Nintendo
08. Procter & Gamble
09. Sony
10. Nokia
11. Amazon.Com
12. IBM
13. Research In Motion
14. BMW
15. Hewlett-Packard
16. Honda Motor
17. Walt Disney
18. General Motors
19. Reliance Industries
20. Boeing
21. Goldman Sachs Group
22. 3M
23. Wal-Mart Stores
24. Target
25. Facebook
26. Samsung Electronics
27. AT&T
28. Virgin Group
29. Audi
30. Mcdonald’S
31. Daimler
32. Starbucks
33. Ebay
34. Verizon Communications
35. Cisco Systems
36. ING Group
37. Singapore Airlines
38. Siemens
39. Costco Wholesale
40. HSBC
41. Bank Of America
42. Exxon Mobil
43. News Corp.
44. BP
45. Nike
46. Dell
47. Vodafone Group
48. Intel
49. Southwest Airlines
50. American Express
If you look at the list closely and if you had been following this annual ranking as I have had, you will notice that for the first time ever Tata Group and the Reliance Group have made it. They are at the top 25. You will also notice that Singapore Airlines is at number 37.
I can also bet you that somebody somewhere in the labyrinth that is called Putrajaya would have us believe that this list is of no importance and that it is 'subjective'. That's what they have us believe of Time's Higher Education Ranking.
Look, all listings are always subjective. In fact, how do you measure such as things as 'innovation' and 'quality'. You objectivity will go only so far. Agreed.
Yet, they are not entirely false or useless. There is still a substantial measure of truth in it and more importantly it influences investor perception. It affects the kind of talents you attract and it determines the kind of share holder value you can promise.
A few years ago, the companies that made into this list were almost always from the USA, Europe and Japan. Then the Koreans stated to get into the act. We just smirked and said : "Well...you know...they are so advanced anyway....." Now, the Indians are on the list and soon so will be the Chinese. I am putting my money on Lenovo and the Nanjing Automobile company to make the list soon. Maybe even their brewer, Tsingtao beer which has been making inroads into mainstream beer drinking culture.
Where are Malaysian companies? Maybe AirAsia should be somewhere in the list. It did make into another listing but not this one. Without taking anything away from the great people at AirAsia, its model is not an innovation per se. It is indeed a clever adaptation of an existing model pioneered by Rynair. Making a USD2500.00 car which is sent to entrepreneurs who assemble them is a first for mankind! That alone has put Tata Motors with its Nano on the list.
Fair or not this listing is here to stay. Whether we like it or not, it will influence peoples' decision making. Lets try to get ourselves into the list rather than slip into a bubble of self delusion.
By the way, whatever happened to our MSC, Biotech hub, aviation hub and all the other hubs that were supposed to put us on the world map? Go figure.
Cheers and have a great week ahead.
