For the first time, there’s a shakeup at the top of BCG’s annual list of the most innovative companies. In this year’s global survey of more than 2,500 senior innovation leaders, longtime leader Apple ranks third, and Google (or its parent company, Alphabet) and Amazon move up to first and second place, respectively. Microsoft and Samsung round out the top five. The rising importance of digital technology continues to be an overarching megatrend for innovators. In particular, BCG’s new report “The Most Innovative Companies 2019: The Rise of AI, Platforms, and Ecosystems” finds that innovators are increasingly embracing AI as a way to develop new products and services and improve internal innovation. In addition, innovators are embracing technology platforms and their cousin, ecosystems, to tap into sources of external innovation and differentiation. In the BCG’s list there are also Siemens (no. 16), LG Electronics (18), Philips (29) and Huawei (48).
