HOW 3M MANAGES ITS GLOBAL LABORATORY NETWORK

As we approach the 21st century, global competitiveness requires a tra nsnational organization. This is an organization with global vision an d planning, yet with local responsiveness because of local customer re quirements often driven by country specifications, standards and cultu res. 3M's technical organization must reflect that vision to support t he business opportunity, add technical content and hence compete in th e global business arena. 3M's culture of innovation and creativity in developing new products is being exported to our technical operations outside the United States to maximize our market penetration using 3M' s technological strengths.