The document introduces the Thomson Reuters Top 100 Global Innovators for 2011. It provides an overview of the methodology used to identify the top 100 companies based on metrics related to patent success, global patent protection, influence, and innovation volume. The top 100 companies span various industries and countries, with the largest representations coming from North America (40%), Asia (31%), and Europe (29%). Japan and France have the most companies on the list of any single countries.