TDK Corporation announces today that it has been selected as one of the 2012 Top 100 Global Innovators by Thomson Reuters (headquartered in New York with a Japan office in Minato-ku, Tokyo). This award is based on an analysis of patent information held by Thomson Reuters, which looked at trends in intellectual property and patents, beyond merely patent filing volume. The corporations and research organizations selected as the Top 100 Global Innovators have been commercializing notable inventions on a global scale. Criteria for selection included: number of patents, success rate, global reach of patent portfolio, and influence of patents in citations. TDK received an especially high rating for number of patents, along with a high rating for the other three criteria.

TDK was established in 1935 to commercialize the electronic material ferrite, used today in a wide range of electronic devices. The company has since developed and sells a wide range of products focusing on magnetic materials, achieving numerous technical innovations. To further develop business with a global perspective focusing on passive components, TDK aims to continue doing research and development and improving its intellectual property strategy sources of its competitiveness.