This is a good list.

Apple: #1
Google: #2
3M: #3


Toyota: #4

• Its leading-edge hybrid technology meets market needs and its manufacturing technologies deliver a quality product

• Uses design, technology, manufacturing, and marketing for maximum market penetration and profits

• Doesn't think conservatively in a conservative industry

Toyota Motor Corp., which leapt 10 spots this year to No. 4, is becoming a master of many as well. The Japanese auto giant is best known for an obsessive focus on innovating its manufacturing processes. But thanks to the hot-selling Prius, Toyota is earning even more respect as a product innovator. It is also collaborating more closely with suppliers to generate innovation. Last year, Toyota launched its Value Innovation strategy. Rather than work with suppliers just to cut costs of individual parts, it is delving further back in the design process to find savings spanning entire vehicle systems.



BMW:#16

• Challenges industry convention by combining excellent automotive design with cutting-edge technology development to create and market the "Ultimate Driving Experience"

• Has become a leader in automotive telematics

Coordinating innovation from the center is taken literally at BMW Group (BMW ), No. 16 on the list. Each time BMW begins developing a car, the project team's members -- some 200 to 300 staffers from engineering, design, production, marketing, purchasing, and finance -- are relocated from their scattered locations to the auto maker's Research and Innovation Center, called FIZ, for up to three years. Such proximity helps speed up communications (and therefore car development) and encourages face-to-face meetings that prevent late-stage conflicts between, say, marketing and engineering. In 2004 these teams began meeting in the center's new Project House, a unique structure that lets them work a short walk from the company's 8,000 researchers and developers and alongside life-size clay prototypes of the car in development.


Honda:#23

• Superior engineering and design capabilities deliver attractive products that meet customer needs

• Relentless focus on quality

• Robotics



http://images.businessweek.com/ss/06...s/index_01.htm

 

Toyota would be more innovative if they created motorcycles like BMW and Honda...

 

Well, Toyota already outranks them in innovation without motorcycles.

 

wow this is good. i guess their innovations aren't something everyone will see, but i think it's shown in their hybrid work the most

 

i personally dont get why is Apple's mp3 player more innovative than hybrid system alone (not even other things such as dual direct injection, d-cat, etc). Kudo's to apple, but most innovating company? hmph.

 

ah, it is survey taken out of 1,000 executives from around the world... which makes sense. Cool.

 

Apple made a technological marvel with the iPod, just like Sony did with a walkman in the 1970's. They truly changed the culture and business of music, which is not an easy feat to do, especially with the boom over the last two years. We went from "What the hell is Napster?" to "I've got an 8GB audio server on my LS600h."

They became the most innovative because they changed not only their technology, but world culture (in the realm of music).

 

Way to go Toyota!!!!!

 

Toyota all the way! No other auto manufacturer has anything on Toyota regarding gasoline/electric hybrids. I'm sure Toyota will also lead the way into fuel cell/electric hybrids. I believe the next generation Toyota Prius will even get more miles per gallon. It only makes sense that Toyota will improve on their current technology. Customers are attracted by marketing and innovation.

 

it is mostly marketing, not innovation. As is this survey taken from top executives, it is mostly about marketing.
There is more innovation and technology in i-drive system for example than all of the Apple products combined together.

 

marketing could be part of innovations too imho. i think their touch pad is a very good innovation there. the thing is they hit on a lot of people in the society, like 80%. that's huge