The automotive industry was more than twice as innovative in 2012 than it was in 2011, according to the 2012 Top 100 Global Innovators list compiled by the IP & Science unit of Thomson Reuters. The full report released Dec. 4 listing the awards and describing the selection methodology is available here. Automotive companies on the Top 100 list are Delphi, Ford, Honda, Jatco, Renault, Toyota, and Valeo. Of those, only Ford acknowledged the honor in a press release, saying that its engineers and researchers "have come through recently with nearly 500 patents granted for hybrid-electric vehicle technology." Ford's developments related to improving vehicle fuel efficiency have also yielded more than 25 patent applications for the controls for Auto Start-Stop, 125 patents for EcoBoost engine technology, as well as the SmartGauge instrument cluster and EcoGuide driver coaching system. Ford credits much of its innovation to its Employee Patent Incentive Awards; invention submissions are up 60% since its launch. Companies that do business in the automotive industry but are listed under non-automotive categories in the Top 100 include Eaton, Denso, General Electric, Goodyear, Michelin, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Scania, and Siemens.
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Top 100 Global Innovators list includes seven automotive companies05-Dec-2012 17:55 GMT 
Ford's hybrid vehicle development group helped put the automaker among the Top-100 Innovation leaders. Ming Kuang, Technical Leader, Vehicle Controls, Electrification Research and Advanced Engineering, has helped grow Ford’s hybrid patent portfolio from 10 in 2000. His name is on 40 of Ford’s nearly 500 hybrid-related patents.
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