Siemens AG

As the European financial union buckled last year, Germany stood out as the EU's rock-solid exception. Siemens AG, the country’s mammoth technology conglomerate that builds everything from power plants to trains, enjoyed the most successful year in its history. Some highlights:

NO NUKES In the wake of the Fukushima disaster, Germany’s decision to phase out nuclear energy opened the door for a host of Siemens technologies, such as a new “combined-cycle” gas power plant that achieves record efficiencies of more than 60%.

GROUND GAME Recently, Siemens built its own electric car--but not to compete with, say, Tesla. "We want to become a leading producer of components," says research VP Reinhold Achatz. His team also wanted to understand how EVs may soon affect urban infrastructure.

AIR STRIKES Engineers debuted the first hybrid electric plane last June, a two-seater that can reduce fuel and emissions by 25%. Scaling up to a larger aircraft is next.

CRITICAL DATA A revolutionary scanner integrates several imaging technologies so doctors can view organ position, function, and metabolic activity simultaneously.