The 3M Company was founded as a mining enterprise in the state of Minnesota in the U.S. in 1902. Subsequently, 3M gradually expanded the scope of its business activities, and today the company produces and sells nearly 60,000 different products, and has accumulated more than 120,000 patents. In 2020, 3M ranked 103rd in the Fortune Global 500, and ranked 195th in the Forbes Global 2000 list of the world’s largest listed companies. 3M is one of only a handful of major multinational corporations in the world that have been in existence for over a century. In 2019, 3M posted total global sales of US$32.1 billion, and was operating in more than 200 countries throughout the world, with 70 overseas subsidiaries. However, there are only a few countries or regions where 3M has appointed a Managing Director (MD), and Taiwan is one of these, which reflects the importance that 3M attaches to the Taiwanese market and to Taiwan’s human talent.

From daily life to industry, 3M has put down firm roots in Taiwan

Back in 1969, Taiwan was rapidly developing its basic industries and heavy industry. Impressed by the positive economic outlook for Taiwan, 3M decided to establish a subsidiary there: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Taiwan (now “3M Taiwan”). Today, 3M Taiwan’s headquarters is located in the Nangang district of Taipei City, adjacent to the CTBC Financial Park. 3M has also established R&D, high-end manufacturing and logistics centers in Taoyuan City. In addition, 3M has invested in the creation of 3M Taiwan Optronics Corporation in the Tainan Science Park, focused on optoelectronic products. Currently, 3M has over a thousand employees in Taiwan, and sells more than 30,000 product items there, including wound care and infection prevention products, colored adhesive film and reflective labels, electronics materials and precision chemical products for use in semiconductor manufacturing, occupational safety and protective products, industrial adhesives, polishing materials, aerospace and automotive materials, optical film, household and office products, etc. 3M provides both industrial users and ordinary consumers with newer, better solutions. The diversified range of products that 3M offers derive from 51 core technology platforms. 3M serves the Taiwan market through four business groups: Safety & Industrial, Transportation & Electronics, Health Care, and Consumer. Over the past 51 years, 3M has been helping its Taiwanese customers to enhance their global competitiveness. 3M has been a vitally important partner in the process of industrial development in Taiwan.

Painstaking creation of the first “green” R&D center in the Asia Pacific region

The most impressive 3M building in Taiwan is, without doubt, the Customer Technical Center in Yangmei. Reflecting 3M''''s corporate goal of contributing towards global sustainable development, in 2011 3M Taiwan secured the whole-hearted backing of 3M''''s global headquarters for a project to establish in Taiwan the first R&D center in Asia that embodies the “green building” philosophy. 3M Taiwan collaborated with a professor at Taiwan’s National Cheng Kung University who possessed extensive expertise in the area of “green building” to integrate physical principles - in relation to the angle of sunlight, the direction of the northeasterly monsoon winds, etc. - with 3M’s unique energy-saving technologies, so that the new building would realize maximum energy-saving effectiveness.

To take one example, the building has a metal updraft tower on its roof. In the summer, the metal surface of the tower absorbs large amounts of heat which heat up the air inside the tower. The reduced density of the heated air causes it to rise, thereby drawing in fresh, cooler air from the bottom of the building. In winter, although there is no convective stack effect, because the mouth of the tower takes the form of slits, the powerful northeastern monsoon wind generates negative pressure, creating a different kind of flow. The Customer Technical Center building also makes extensive use of 3M''''s heat-control Window Films for building use, which block heat and UV rays from entering the interior of the building, but still keep the inside of the building bright through natural lighting. As a result, the building as a whole maintains more or less zero-emission status throughout the year, while emphasizing both energy conservation and comfort.

Realizing a corporate culture that attaches great importance to the environment and to health and safety

Reflecting 3M''''s corporate culture, with its commitment to Environment, Health and Safety (EHS), 3M Taiwan goes beyond the statutory requirements in its industrial safety and health measures and in its concern for employees. As a result, 3M has become a “model multinational” in Taiwan. For example, 3M Taiwan decided, off its own initiative, to make a contribution that exceeds the legally-mandated 6% to employees’ Labor Insurance pension funds. Furthermore, if employees are willing to make a contribution to their own pension funds, the company will increase its own contribution, thereby helping to provide employees with a more comfortable retirement. In addition, all 3M Taiwan employees - regardless of age - are eligible to receive health examinations. Given this human-centric corporate culture, employees are able to make their own contribution and achieve personal growth within a working environment that provides respect and fairness and which values diversity.

Currently, 99.9% of 3M Taiwan’s employees were recruited locally, in Taiwan. As a company that encourages innovation, besides using an innovative environment to stimulate mutual learning and exchange and sharing of ideas among its employees, 3M also provides employees with opportunities to learn the latest technologies, and sends employees on assignments to 3M subsidiaries in other countries so that they can accumulate knowledge and experience. Jeffrey Tung, Managing Director of 3M Taiwan, gives his own experience as an example. “I joined 3M shortly after obtaining my doctorate. I was subsequently sent on assignments to work at 3M''''s headquarters in the U.S., in Shanghai in China, in Bangkok in Thailand, in Singapore, etc. During this process, I learned about different cultures, had exposure to different industry sectors, and had different roles and responsibilities.” As long as you are prepared to challenge yourself, 3M is willing to provide its employees with opportunities to learn and to realize personal growth. Dr. Tung gives the heartfelt comment that “Just as in my case, where 3M was willing to appoint someone who had been heavily focused on R&D to be general manager of a subsidiary.”

Faced with the COVID-19 epidemic, 3M is advocating trans-national collaboration and innovation

Recently, global supply chains have been undergoing structural adjustment due to the impact of U.S.-China trade friction and the COVID-19 coronavirus epidemic. Countries throughout the world have been competing to attract foreign investment. Prior to taking up the position of General Manager of 3M Taiwan, Dr. Tung served as 3M’s Head of R&D, 3M Taiwan; General Manager, R&D, Industrial Business Group Lab; Head of R&D, 3M Singapore and Southeast Asia; and Head of R&D, Greater China Area. This experience brought home to him the fact that, in today''''s environment of global competition, both countries and enterprises need to become more competitive in order to stand out from the crowd. Dr. Tung also believes that Taiwan needs to turn the situation created by the COVID-19 coronavirus epidemic to its advantage by showing the outside world Taiwan’s unique strengths and the opportunities that it offers, in a strategic, targeted manner. 3M Taiwan is willing to do its utmost to secure the support of 3M’s global headquarters for bringing even more competitive technologies and products to Taiwan. What is needed is a concerted effort to strengthen the collaborative relationship of mutual trust between 3M, its customers and the Taiwanese government so that the various parties can, playing their different roles and in concert with Taiwanese companies throughout the value chain, work together to support Taiwan’s continued growth.

3M Taiwan also believes that the COVID-19 epidemic has encouraged companies across all industries to start focusing on how to promote global collaboration in a “contact-less” manner. 3M Taiwan is full of confidence in its ability to continue developing the Taiwan market so that it can bring even more high-quality products and solutions to Taiwan. Furthermore, 3M Taiwan is an important suppliers for companies in many Taiwanese industries. Despite the challenging business environment, 3M will continue to support its customers to help ensure that the supply chain is not disrupted; this represents another of 3M’s commitments.

Working together with Taiwanese industry to develop international markets

As a world leader in innovation and R&D, 3M has for many years now been striving to integrate and apply scientific knowledge in such as a way as to enhance people’s daily lives. 3M believes that, at this time when the COVID-19 epidemic has been spreading throughout the world, collaboration has been shown to be even more important than ever, and Taiwan is the ideal collaborative partner. Looking ahead to the next 50 years, 3M hopes to build an even closer partnership with the Taiwanese government so that 3M will have even more opportunities to participate in major national development projects. For example, in areas where Taiwan possesses significant competitive advantage, such as semiconductors, precision agriculture, smart manufacturing, “green” energy and the environmental sector, etc., there is potential for using Taiwan as a test-bed in the future, which should lead to the gradual emergence of new business models that Taiwan can use to develop international markets and enhance its global visibility.