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March 22, 2019

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3M launches innovative new design center

Global innovation company 3M, long recognized for diversified technology and innovation, announced the opening of a new design center in Shanghai last week.

It is the fifth 3M Design Center the American multinational corporation has opened, next to Italy, Japan, India and the company’s headquarters in St Paul Minnesota.

The new design center in Shanghai will work on translating 3M science and technology platforms toward future solutions, enrich solutions for customers, build powerful brand experiences and bring a unique Chinese perspective to 3M’s global innovation ecosystem.

“It’s exciting to expand and grow 3M Design across the globe, providing this center of design that enables collaboration and stimulates creativity is critical to successful growth in China,” said Eric Quint, vice president and chief design officer at 3M.

“Cross-functional creative collaboration with colleagues, customers and partners result in relevant and meaningful solutions and a strategic platform that maximizes value by differentiating 3M in the market place.”

The 3M Design Centers around the world leverages design as a catalyst for change, cross-pollinating creative minds from diverse backgrounds — from user experience and product design, to brand experience and more.

“All the design centers we have around the world are staffed with local designers,” Quint added.

“We are here because if you want to create great solutions for the China market, you need to understand Chinese consumers.

“How better can you do that than having a design studio in a region or a country that is going to collaborate with our internal and also external partners to come up with the best solutions?”

The 3M China Design Center covers an area of 150 square meters, and plans to have a 20-person design team, serving the needs of China market.

Many 3M architectural product solutions including a variety of DI-NOC and FASARA film applications, as well as reflective films, have been applied throughout the new design center to spur creativity and enhance the work space experience.

The open concept and direct proximity to the China R&D Center — one of 3M’s four Research and Development Centers — will stimulate spontaneous dialogue and early design involvement for increased strategic partnership and customer engagement.

Following the studio opening, 3M Design China hosted a 3M Design Night in China at the HuaXin Meeting Center, where guests enjoyed an inspirational evening of networking, sharing and learning with a dynamic panel dialogue of thought leaders about “Design for Future Mobility.”

When asked how 3M encourages and promotes innovation and creativity, Quint said, “It comes down to a mindset.”

“3M has a mindset that has been built for many years. We like to invent. We use technology as a base for that, and we are all curious people.

“We are curious to understand what technology can do and what people need us to do, and we bring these two together.

“Design is now added to the portfolio because we understand that we do not only need to have products that function well but also products that are emotionally well connected to the customers. And design is helping us create products that have a connection to our customers.

“The whole structure of the company is set to stimulate people to collaborate, to think outside the box, and to make sure that we use creativity all together to come up with the best ideas.”

3M China is dedicated to the development of innovative technology and products that meet local customers’ needs and focus on fostering local innovative and creative talents.

“3M has been committed to the China market for over 30 years by leveraging its advanced technology to bring innovation to a market that has successfully contributed to the development of the economy and society,” said Stephen Shafer, president of 3M China.

“We believe design is instrumental to innovation. The opening of the 3M China Design Center enables us to be closer to our customers and better serve the local market needs with more creative, customized, and sustainable solutions for the future.

“For us 3M, globalization and localization are both very important. Globalization enables us to connect our technology and our people, and to take the best ideas from all over the world and make sure we can bring it to a place, like China.

“Meanwhile, localization allows us to be close to our customers, to understand the things that are happening within a certain market place, thus to serve our customers better.

“Also what we are doing in China is more and more about developing new ideas that are then brought to other parts of the world, as 3M China is becoming an innovation leader.”

3M entered the China market in November 1984. It was the first foreign owned enterprise in China to be established outside of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone.

So far, 3M has invested over US$1 billion in China market, having set up nine production bases, 27 offices, four technology centers and two R&D centers, and having more than 8,200 employees.

3M China is committed to developing innovative technology and products that meet the needs of the local market and customers, and focuses on the training of innovative talent.

At present, 3M China has nearly 600 local R&D personnel, contributing about 1,000 patents and inventions, and is playing an extremely important role in 3M Global R&D Network.

3M China has grasped the opportunities in China’s economic development over the past 30 years, adhering to the localization development strategy of “In China, for China.”

With its diversified technology and solutions, 3M China has set its strategies in line with China’s growth pace, and has actively supported China’s rapid economic development in various areas including infrastructure construction, manufacturing, health care, consumer products, and innovation and creation. This has made 3M one of the most successful foreign companies in localization in China.

Also of note, 3M China is actively fulfilling the corporate social responsibilities, taking an active part in environmental protection, poverty alleviation, disaster mitigation, and promoting volunteer activities.

In addition to special CSR projects it has launched, the idea of environmental protection can also be found in various kinds of products and designs of 3M.

“We as designers have the responsibility to pay attention to how we use materials of Mother Earth, and we would like to make sure that we contribute in the best way to a sustainable solution to the future,” Quint said.




 

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