The MIT Technology Review has published its list of the “50 smartest companies,” those organizations that have made a difference through innovation over the past year. The criteria for making the list is a loftily visionary one: the organizations chosen, says the Review, display “disruptive innovation that will prove to surpass the competition, transform an industry, and change our lives.”
Meeting those high standards are some companies whose names you’ve never heard, such as Oculus VR and Ripple Labs; some exotic-sounding ones, Genomics England and Quihoo 360 Technology; some newer companies, Kickstarter, Uber, and Jawbone; and a few very familiar ones, including Google, LG, Medtronic, and Monsanto. In selecting Monsanto, the Review emphasizes the importance of the agriculture company’s work in helping farmers meet the food demands of a growing global population. Review publisher and editor-in-chief Jason Pontin says, “Monsanto’s experience in both the genetic modification and cross-breeding of crops could be even more valuable in the coming years, as agriculture faces unprecedented pressures from population growth and climate change.“ Let’s hope that this “smart company’s” agricultural innovations, driven by technology, continue to develop at warp speed to feed the world’s rapidly growing billions through sustainable production methods.
I’m John Howell for 3BL Media.
