Samsung leads 2024 global innovation
Report highlights key trends and top innovators including Canon, Honda, Toyota, and Seiko Epson | Japan maintains pole position worldwide followed by the US.
Samsung Electronics has emerged as the top global innovator of 2024, according to a recent rankings report.
Canon, Honda, Toyota, and Seiko Epson, followed the South Korean multinational as the world’s leading global innovators in the latest report published by Clarivate.
The list, released today, March 5, 2024, reveals the organisations at the forefront of technology research and innovation.
The Clarivate Center for IP and Innovation Research used a comparative analysis of global invention data—including assessing the strength of patented ideas, their innovative power, and the organisations' consistency and frequency in creating them over the past five years.
Gordon Samson, president, IP at Clarivate, said, “To feature as a top 100 global innovator is no mean feat as maintaining an edge in the innovation ecosystem is harder than ever.”
Organisations must “balance experimentation and risk” with “discipline and reward,” he added.
Key findings
According to the report, 18 organisations retained their top 100 global innovator status, including Samsung Electronics, Honda, Toyota, General Electric, LG Electronics, Panasonic, Sony, Hitachi, Toshiba, Ericsson, Qualcomm, Dow, Fujitsu, Boeing, Shin-Etsu Chemical, Honeywell, NEC, and Roche.
Additionally, two new companies, Taiwan electronics company Coretronic and Japan precision tool manufacturer Disco, were awarded top 100 status for the first time, and three companies, Tencent, Daikin Industries, and Zeiss, made a comeback.
The government and academic research segment is expected to significantly contribute to applied innovation, based on predictions from the top 1,000 organisations.
General Motors, AUO, Hyundai Motor, Wistron, Philip Morris International, Winbond, Coretronic, Delta Electronics, AAC Technologies, and Disco were all listed as innovators to watch.
Regional findings
This year's list covers ten countries and regions, with Japan maintaining its position as the leading contributor—featuring 38 organisations.
The US followed closely with 17 entities, while Asia solidified its leadership in the global innovation landscape with 62 organisations listed (a four-entity increase from 2023).
Other leading countries included Taiwan with 11 organisations, South Korea with eight (three more than in 2023), and China with five—one more than the previous year.
In Europe, Germany had seven organisations named, France had six, Switzerland had four, Netherlands had three and Sweden had one.
Industry sectors
The 2024 report highlighted an increased representation of the industrial segments, continuing a trend found in the 2023 report.
Industrial systems saw a significant increase in their ranking positions (+4) alongside semiconductors (+2) and software, media, and fintech (+1).
However, not all sectors experienced growth, with declines recorded in chemicals and materials (-3) and industrial conglomerates (-2).
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