Author: Ben Debski

Sales breakdown

82.9^%

Medical Systems

6.7^%

Medical Information Systems

5.9^%

Analysis Systems

4.5^%

Medical Analysis Systems

Hitachi Medical Corporation (HMC) provides a direct link to the US in the delivery of advanced diagnostics imaging products. The firm is recognised internationally as a pioneer in the development of proton beam therapy (PBT) technology, an advanced form of cancer radiotherapy that employs spot scanning irradiation. HMC maintains an unwavering commitment to the technological advancement of medical equipment, ensuring the easing of medical workloads and the furthering of medical treatment is central to its R&D practices.

11,300

AstraZeneca has 11,300 employees working in R&D

$4bn

AstraZeneca invests $4bn on R&D yearly (the average cost of launching a new drug)

AstraZeneca is a British-Swedish pharmaceutical and biologics company operating in over 100 countries. The firm has a growing presence in emerging markets such as China, Brazil and Russia. Medicines manufactured by AstraZeneca are developed for use in areas of cancer, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, infection, neuroscience and respiratory and inflammation-related illnesses. Investing over $4bn annually on R&D, AstraZeneca demonstrates a continued commitment to producing prescription medicines of the highest quality.

1878

GE traces its origins to Thomas Edison, who formed Edison Electric Light Company in 1878

1896

GE is the only company listed in the Dow Jones Industrial Index that was included in the 1896 original

1956

GE built the first major business school, the John Welch Leadership Centre in 1956

General Electric (GE) is a US-headquartered multinational conglomerate demonstrating a markedly forward-thinking attitude, notably towards ‘green’ innovation. To set itself apart from its competitors GE believes in allocating hefty grants for use in product innovation and considers IP rights a positive force for the development of cross-business co-operation and the production of complex product types. By adopting a greener strategy GE aims to offer a more transparent mode of business to encourage even greater investment for the future.

48,000 sq m

Tencent has a 48,000sq m R&D centre in Chengdu

750m+

Tencent’s QQ instant messaging portal has over 750 million active user accounts

Investment holding company Tencent Holdings and its subsidiaries are principally concerned with ensuring the provision of internet and telecommunications value-added services, as well as providing advertising services to users in the Chinese market. Tencent capitalises on the ever-expanding growth of the Chinese internet population and on the subsequent demand for internet-related services. Continually reacting to developments within the digital community, Tencent commands a great deal of authority and respect in a vastly competitive Chinese market.

3,700

SG has 3,700 researchers operating in multiple fields

700

SG currently has 700 projects in its portfolio, with 396 patents applied for in 2011

Originally founded as a mirror manufacturer, Saint-Gobain (SG) is now a multinational corporation producing a variety of construction and high-performance materials. The French company maintains a cycle of re-adapting currently existing products so that it can stay at the forefront of designing and manufacturing comfortable, economical and sustainable materials for buildings designed to display the best of sustainable living. One of SG’s key objectives is to contribute significantly to the shaping of a more sustainable future.

5bn

Almost five billion cans of Red Bull are consumed every year, making it the top- selling energy drink

208

Mateschitz is the richest person in Austria with $5bn, making him number 208 in the world

Red Bull is an energy drink company; though one that differentiates itself from a crowded market in its astute approach to marketing. Widely recognised for its many advertising campaigns and its slogan, “Red Bull gives you wings”, the company has invested a great deal in the establishment of a precise and carefully manufactured brand identity. Red Bull most noticeably invests in extreme sports such as biking, windsurfing, skateboarding, surfing and most notably Formula 1 racing, to maintain a competitive edge over its rival brands and keep within its target market of young, active people.

1988

Professors Liu Jiren and Li Huatian formed Neusoft in 1988

50

Neusoft provides hospitals with over 50 digital imaging methods

Neusoft is a Chinese software, IT services and medical equipment company headquartered in Shenyang and is the largest in its sector in its homeland. The high-tech giant demonstrates an unwavering commitment to the pursuit of new business innovations and makes continual efforts to move alongside rapidly growing technologies. Neusoft employs a systematic reuse of all resources in building application solutions, as well as strengthening process applications and promoting best practices in its green model of doing business.

$600m

Alcatel’s Chattanooga smart grid will save it  $600m over 10years

7

Alcatel’s R&D division shares seven Nobel prizes between 13 scientists

Alcatel-Lucent is a French-based global telecommunications equipment firm headquartered in Paris, catering for service providers by means of voice, data and video services. While the company focuses primarily on fixed, mobile and converged networking hardware, IP technologies, software and services, the company maintains a highly innovative streak in its holdings of Bell Laboratories: a pioneering research and development subsidiary responsible for the invention of radio astronomy, the transistor, and the laser.

3

Asetek has three new patents and many patents pending for liquid cooling products

1.3m

Over 1.3 million Asetek liquid cooling systems have been deployed worldwide

Asetek is widely considered to be the leading supplier of liquid cooling solutions for computing, with its core products improving the acoustics of workstations and the performance of high-end consumer desktop computers. The company has reconfigured its proven desktop PC coolers into a line of hot-water, direct-to-chip liquid cooling systems for server and data centre cooling. With this technology, data centres can greatly reduce energy and water consumption, and lower greenhouse gas emissions. As a supplier to industry leaders, including HP and Dell, Asetek has a long reputation for outstanding quality and reliability.

40^%

Siemens generates 40 percent of the UK’s wind energy

15,000

Siemens’ equipment screens 15,000 women for breast cancer daily in the UK

German engineering and electronics conglomerate Siemens is among the proudest names in manufacturing and is the largest company of its sector based in Europe. Claiming to pioneer and research 40 inventions per day, as well as having 28,000 researchers and developers working on solutions for energy, industry, infrastructure and healthcare, the company represents the importance of innovation in manufacturing. Siemens has preserved its reputation through the financial crisis and continues to innovate in an increasingly competitive climate.

10,000

Microsoft has applied for over 10,000 patents

1992

The first Windows virus was released in 1992. Microsoft now pays hackers to find software vulnerabilities

Making remarkable breakthroughs in terms of technology and innovation, the world’s largest software maker shows no signs of slowing its progress. Focusing more on content than its competitors, Microsoft has pioneered a number of groundbreaking concepts in the overarching development of computing. Its innovation centres now number over 100 and are effective facilities for the conducting and advancement of research, technology and software solutions, collaborating with government, academic
and industry participants worldwide.