In the 2014 list of most innovative companies released today by The Boston Consulting Group (BCG), technology and telecommunications companies once again lead the pack, holding down all of the top 5 spots in 2014, 7 of the top 10, and 21 of the top 50—the most since 2010. Consumer industries, with 10 of the top 50 slots, capture the second largest share.
Apple has been number one every year since 2005. Samsung and Google switched places again at numbers two and three. Microsoft and IBM round out the top five.
In 2014, BCG again asked respondents to name up-and-coming companies—companies that are still relatively young or have yet to reach the scale of the top 50 global giants but are making themselves known for innovation.
Xiaomi Technology, WhatsApp, and Square lead this list. There was 50 percent turnover on the up-and-coming list, with only four companies returning from 2013. Last year’s up-and-comers all leveraged mobile platforms in one way or another; this year’s list comprises more varied innovators: consumer products, auto, media, and big-data companies.
