What makes an innovator? Patents play a big role, according to Thomson Reuters’ Intellectual Property Solutions business, which released its fourth annual Top 100 Innovators list Monday. It ranked leading companies from around the world based in part on the volume and success of their patent efforts.
Two local companies made the list — Lake County-based Abbott Laboratories and Chicago-based Boeing. They joined 33 other U.S. companies, marking a 22 percent decrease in U.S. presence compared with the 2013 list.
Apple, Google, Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft and Xerox were also named.
Japan was the biggest gainer by nation, growing 39 percent and leading the list with 39 companies including Canon, Casio and Honda Motor Co.
The report’s authors assert that patents are pertinent to economic success, citing the Top 100 Global Innovators’ collective outperformance in the S&P 500 and NASDAQ on certain metrics.
Click here to see the list.