No. 20: Boeing
The world is awaiting the arrival of Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner, which, manufactured with 50% composites, promises to be lighter weight and use 20% less fuel than conventional commercial aircraft. The globally sourced project has been plagued by delays, however, which have begun to overshadow excitement over the plane’s groundbreaking technology.
No. 19: Reliance Industries
The Indian petrochemicals giant made it onto our list this year thanks to fans of its aggressive growth. But its ambitious plans to reach into grocery retailing, which is dominated in India by small shopkeepers who’ve rebelled against corporate entrants, have faltered.
No. 18: General Motors
CEO Richard Wagoner Jr. is making design a top priority in his efforts to jump-start GM’s struggling business, giving stylists a first crack at new models before engineers. Add in new hybrid-electric SUVs, along with plans for the ultrahigh-mileage Volt in 2010, and it’s clear GM is trying to shake its stodgy image.
No. 17: Walt Disney
Disney is Hollywood’s leader with online offerings. It was first to ship its TV shows online. These days it’s filling the Web with social networks for kids that let them become avatar “fairies” or join communities of pirate-playing gamesters. Digital revenues will jump this year by 25%, to $1 billion.
No. 16: Honda Motor
At a time when most carmakers are worrying about high gas prices, sales of fuel-efficient Hondas are growing. Next up, the automaker will introduce gas-sipping clean diesels, small affordable hybrids and, in 2010, a private jet that’s 30% more fuel efficient than rival offerings.
No. 15: Hewlett-Packard
The 69-year-old info tech company’s Innovation Program Office helps it to absorb the startup vibes from recent acquisitions. The new service “CloudPrint,” developed in a matter of months and inspired by the iPhone, helps users send documents to printers from their mobile devices.
No. 14: BMW
While other carmakers talk about hybrids and electric motors, this German maker of sports sedans has concentrated on getting the most out of existing technology. As a result, the latest BMWs and Minis challenge the Toyota Prius for gas mileage and low emissions.
No. 13: Research In Motion
Twenty-eight million thumbs on 14 million devices say RIM still dominates the wireless e-mail market. The makers of the ubiquitous BlackBerry are now reaching into the vast consumer market, putting it on a collision course with iPhone maker Apple.
No. 12: IBM
With over 3,000 scientists at IBM Research, Big Blue has been the leading U.S. patent winner for 15 years in a row. Now the new head of research, John Kelly III, plans on making bigger and bolder bets. One example: trying to invent the next-generation transistor.
No. 11: Amazon.com
Now far more than an e-tailer of physical goods, Amazon.com has added the ability to download videos and MP3s. And it's selling the very Web services it uses for its own operations to hundreds of startups, which employ the back-office tech programs to run their own companies.
No. 10: Nokia
The Finnish handset maker employs anthropologists who study mobile-phone users in emerging markets. Their insights have made Nokia the leader in India and China. As it pushes beyond hardware into Web services, it’s tapping outsiders to create games and offer feedback.
No. 9: Sony
Now that its electronics business is healthy and Blu-ray is the new DVD standard, Sony's priority is online content. Its PlayStation 3 video game consoles will soon feature Home, a 3D social networking and gaming world, and PlayStation Network, an expanded channel for music and videos.
No. 8: Procter & Gamble
The world’s largest consumer-products maker has out-hustled rivals in new product launches through more spending on design and willingness to turn to outsiders for ideas. But P&G is just as creative in finding new markets: It's now pushing to sell its products in overlooked neighborhood stores in developing regions.
No. 7: Nintendo
The video gamemaker is new to our top 25 after its wildly popular Wii console tapped an entirely new gaming audience. It recently launched a Wii fitness game that makes staying in shape a family affair. New service WiiWare will soon offer indie programmers a low-cost way to deliver games online.
No. 6: Tata Group
The Mumbai-based conglomerate jumps onto our list for the first time, fueled by its paradigm-busting $2,500 “Nano” car for the masses. The car, from its Tata Motors unit, is the world’s cheapest, thanks partly to a distribution model that sells the auto in kits to entrepreneurs who assemble them for buyers.
No. 5: Microsoft
Often mocked for following rather than leading, the software giant tapped its vast research arm to launch Surface, a new touch-screen computer that moves a step closer to the Holy Grail of natural user interfaces. To catch up with Google, it continues to pour research funds into perfecting search algorithms.
No. 4: General Electric
CEO Jeff Immelt is so encouraged by GE’s “ecoimagination” initiative that he’s raising the revenue target for green projects from $20 billion to $25 billion by 2010. This year, the industrial giant tapped Dartmouth prof Vijay Govindarajan to be its own in-house “chief innovation consultant.”
No. 3: Toyota Motor
Determined to retain its mantle as the hybrid leader among carmakers, the Japanese company plans to roll out a more fuel-efficient Prius in 2009. It’s also trying to match rival GM’s promise to deliver a plug-in gas-and-electric car using lithium ion batteries. Toyota is targeting 1 million hybrid sales annually by the early 2010s.
No. 2: Google
The search giant, which last year hiked R&D spending 72%, took on Microsoft in its own backyard with a concerted push into online office software. This year Google will try to expand beyond search ads into banner and video ads with its $3.2 billion acquisition of display-ad firm DoubleClick.
No. 1: Apple
Our repeat winner has rocked the wireless handset world with the iPhone, spurring rivals to imitate the touch-screen design. After just nine months on sale, it’s already No. 3 in the global smartphone market. Meanwhile some 150 million iPods have been sold since 2001.
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3. Apple will not lay people off because Steve Jobs would have to admit he had made a bad decision and the company would appear not to be perfect.
1. Michael Bloomberg : Mayor, New York City; Bloomberg LP
2. Silvio Berlusconi : Prime minister, Italy; Fininvest
3. Lakshmi Mittal : ArcelorMittal
4. Warren Buffett : Berkshire Hathaway
5. Vagit Alekperov : Lukoil
6. Carlos Slim Helu : America Movil, Telefonos de Mexico
7. Mukesh Ambani : Reliance Industries
9. Bill Gates : Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Microsoft