3M taps global expertise to benefit local customers
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FOUNDED in 1902, US diversified industrial manufacturer 3M currently serves half of the world’s population with a wide range of products including those in industrial, safety and graphics, electronics and energy, healthcare, and consumer sectors.
Since it established its China branch in 1984, 3M China has developed a very strong foothold with 12 companies, 11 manufacturing facilities, 27 branch offices, four technical centers, and one R&D center, employing over 8,200 people across the nation.
Building its strategy around the tenet of “In China, for China”, 3M’s diversified and innovative technologies aim to meet the surging demands from various sectors of the local economy. By 2015, its investment in China amounted to US$1 billion.
Shanghai Daily recently sat down with Betty Mei, R&D vice president of 3M Greater China Area, to learn how commitment to innovation and localization has shaped its success in China. Mei received a PhD in materials science and engineering from Rutgers University in 1994, and joined 3M in 1995. She has been serving at her current post since 2013.
Q: Having run its business in China for more than 30 years, how does the company
assess its work regarding innovation?
A: 3M has invested a lot in China. We have established a company that today develops products and solutions to solve problems not only for local customers, but also for customers in countries outside of China. We have achieved this through local development and through connecting with, learning from, and collaborating with other divisions of 3M around the world. Collaboration brings added expertise, innovation culture, and knowledge to China, which today, allows us to innovate based on the needs of local customers.
In China, we definitely established our own culture; the 3M innovation culture exists here. I would say that the unique features of the local market are its speed and openness. We are all open-minded in terms of the ways in which we work with different customers, business models, and traits, and we pursue that spirit of openness with certain zeal. I also see that our people here, though relatively younger, are already taking on a lot of responsibilities compared to our headquarters in America. Our collective knowledge and experiences have accumulated within the company for over a hundred years, so what 3M has always worked on is transferring knowledge, experiences, and technical expertise to global team members, so that we can arm our people with sound information and scientific best practices.
Q: Growing with customer needs has been a key strategy for 3M — how does this concept boost innovation?
A: We encourage our engineers and researchers to work in the field directly with customers in order to discover both articulated and unarticulated customer needs. I can give you a very good example: last year we launched a brand new product, the 525 moisture-cured silicone mastic, which is a protective material used to provide electrical insulation for overhead lines. One problem brought on by the urbanization of rural areas in China is that many overhead power lines that were built in the past are naked, without electrical insulation. This poses an increased safety risk and contributes to the instability of power systems. Our field team discovered this problem and brought it back to the development team. Together with our many experts in materials science and process engineering, the team invented a moisture curable elastic mastic material that can be used to wrap the overhead line directly, without having to shut off the power. This product was developed based on 3M advanced materials and process technologies. It has outstanding initial strength for easy operation on hot lines, and excellent dielectric and outdoor durability.
Q: China currently faces growing environmental pressure — how does 3M address these problems and adapt its products and solutions to these situations?
A: As a company, we are a leader in sustainability and have the capability to make big contributions to environmental protection through our 46 technology platforms and our unique ability to innovate.
In China, we recognize the local megatrends like water safety, air quality, and food safety, and work to discover the consumer needs that are driven by these megatrends. To help customers maintain safe and high-quality water over time, we introduced a filter-life indicator in our drinking water systems to remind our customers to change their filter cartridges in a timely manner.
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