A tradition of innovation at 3M

Abstract

Concentrates on 3M, a US company founded in 1902 in which, from the beginning, innovation was necessary. Chronicles that 3M (from the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company) employs 86,000 people in more than 60 countries with yearly revenues of US$115 billion on average. Discusses innovation within the company and how many ideas are used or discarded. Shows failures as well as successes — recounting the story from the 1920s when a top inventor thought sandpaper might replace razor blades! Concludes that because 3M view innovations as a continuous process, businesses need to be quick to survive and fast if they wish to grow, especially true at 3M.

Citation

Kippenberger, T. (1997), "A tradition of innovation at 3M", The Antidote, Vol. 2 No. 2, pp. 31-33. https://doi.org/10.1108/EUM0000000006416