Brunswick Corporation Earns Spot on Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies List

Brunswick Corporation, the Illinois-based company that bills itself as the global leader in marine technology, earned a spot on Fast Company's 2026 list of the World's Most Innovative Companies. The recognition carries particular resonance for Maine boaters: Brunswick's boat brands include Boston Whaler, Lund, Sea Ray, Bayliner, Harris Pontoons, Princecraft, and Quicksilver, vessels that fill the docks and moorings of Merrymeeting Bay and Casco Bay every summer.

CEO Dave Foulkes pointed directly to the company's product pipeline as the driver of the honor. "Innovation is at the heart of everything we do at Brunswick and the force behind our commitment to redefining the marine industry and delivering transformative experiences for our customers," Foulkes said. "Being recognized among Fast Company's 2026 World's Most Innovative Companies is not just an honor; it's a testament to our relentless pursuit of progress and the power of our 'Next Never Rests' philosophy."

The flagship product cited in the recognition was unveiled earlier this year in Las Vegas. At the 2026 Consumer Electronics Show, Brunswick's Sea Ray brand unveiled the SLX 360 Outboard, powered by triple Mercury Marine V10 outboard engines and featuring Simrad AutoCaptain, steering wheel-integrated controls, dual Simrad Ultrawide NSX displays, Fathom e-Power electrical power management, gyroscopic stabilization, and Lenco Pro Control auto-leveling. The combination of autonomous docking technology and integrated power management on a single pleasure craft represents the kind of end-to-end systems engineering Brunswick has been building toward for years.

Among the innovative products launched in 2025 was the Simrad AutoCaptain Autonomous Boating System, a breakthrough advancement featuring full auto-docking capabilities and signaling a new era of intelligent, self-guided boating. These innovations, fueled by Brunswick's ongoing commitment to industry-leading levels of investment in new products and technology and enabled by its unique ability to develop seamlessly integrated end-to-end solutions, demonstrate how the company continues to redefine the boating experience.

To create the 2026 list, a team of more than four dozen Fast Company editors and writers sought out groundbreaking businesses across dozens of industries and every region of the world, with the 720 honorees meeting a high bar for demonstrating innovation and its impact on business and industry. Fast Company editor-in-chief Brendan Vaughan described the honorees as organizations that "don't just adapt to change, they drive it."

Headquartered in Mettawa, Illinois, Brunswick has approximately 15,000 employees operating in 26 countries. In 2025, Brunswick was named America's Most Trusted Company by Forbes Magazine, in addition to winning more than 100 awards across the enterprise for the fourth straight year. In February 2026, the company also earned a top-five Gold honor at the CES 2026 BOSS Awards, placing fourth overall among the top honorees.