The Top Hot Spots and Drivers of Innovation

Global technology leaders still consider the United States at the forefront of innovation, but China is catching up, according to a recent survey from KPMG. The accompanying report, "The Changing Landscape of Disruptive Technologies," also ranks the top global companies and visionaries for innovation. Beyond the lists, the findings reveal how companies are cultivating an innovation culture. A great many survey respondents, for example, said their organization has appointed a chief innovation officer to lead these efforts. In addition, they're measuring progress through patents earned, revenue growth, and brand and reputation barometers. They're also keenly focused on motivating employees to pursue disruptive advances, most frequently through financial incentives and career growth opportunities. "Technology continues to enable an unprecedented rise in creativity across the world to solve business problems and develop new markets in ways never thought possible," wrote Tim Zanni, global and U.S. chair of the media and telecommunications practice for KPMG Technology, in a forward for the report. "At the same time, the success of Silicon Valley's entrepreneurial culture continues to incentivize countries all over the world to become leading technology innovation hubs. ... Global and cross-industry collaborations and partnerships are key to staying ahead, as is learning how to embrace change in a nimble way to avoid the status quo for fear of failure or uncertainty." More than 800 global technology leaders took part in the research.