Innovation is complex. But it doesn’t have to be complicated.
At CES 2025, 3M is demonstrating how it transforms intricate technical challenges into elegant solutions for some of the world’s leading brands. With over 120 years of expertise in materials science and a culture of hands-on collaboration, 3M delivers novel and scalable innovations that push boundaries across various industries.
Collaborative Innovation
3M goes beyond merely supplying materials; it works side-by-side with customers, embedding expertise directly into their operations. By addressing custom challenges and anticipating future needs, 3M helps partners like GM and Lenovo turn ambitious ideas into tangible breakthroughs.
“I like to say we’re a technology integration company that manufactures products,” says Mike Kesti, Senior Vice President of Corporate R&D at 3M. Whether developing a sophisticated component for a foldable laptop or creating everyday essentials like Post-it® Notes, 3M excels in combining unique materials and advanced manufacturing techniques to solve complex challenges.
Robotics and Auto Manufacturing with GM
At the core of 3M’s approach is a commitment to collaboration. Unlike companies that focus on selling pre-made products, 3M works directly with partners to understand their most demanding challenges. This allows 3M to address immediate needs and broader industry trends.
For example, GM’s auto production once relied on labor-intensive, hand-finishing paint applications. 3M engineers partnered with GM to develop an automated system combining advanced robotics with proprietary abrasives. The result was a faster, more consistent process that addressed workforce shortages and improved quality. By embedding engineers on-site, 3M tailored the solution to GM’s operations, setting a new benchmark for automotive manufacturing.
“Our partnership with 3M has resulted in a breakthrough technology for the field – the first ever Robotic Paint Finishing solution on a moving automotive line. Combining GM’s expertise in manufacturing and commitment to excellence with 3M’s deep technical knowledge of abrasives, software, hardware and application engineering experience, the once impossible is now possible. The difficulty to automate this process comes from each surface spot requiring a different recipe solution, in a different location of the car, while it’s moving on a line, every time. The 3M™ Finesse-it™ Robotic Paint Repair system delivers real time recipes and results for the ever-changing environment of the car moving on the line. This solution helps GM provide the highest level of quality to our customers.” – Ryan Odegaard, Director of Global Paint, Polymers & Additive Manufacturing.
Advancing Foldable Tech with Lenovo
3M’s partnership with Lenovo showcases its hands-on, tailored approach. When Lenovo developed the ThinkPad X1 Fold—the world’s first foldable laptop—it faced engineering challenges requiring exceptional display quality, energy efficiency, and durability. 3M provided dual brightness-enhancing films (DBEF) to optimize screen brightness and reduce power consumption. By embedding a technician with Lenovo’s team, 3M refined the application process, ensuring flawless performance and timely launch. This collaboration set a new standard for foldable display technology.
A Culture of Problem-Solving Across Industries
What sets 3M apart is its culture of curiosity and collaboration. With a global network of scientists and engineers, breakthroughs in one field often inspire advancements in another. This ensures solutions born in one industry can deliver transformative value in others.
“We’ve built a system where any team can tap into the entire company’s technical network,” says Kesti. For example, privacy films designed for computer screens now enable zoned vehicle displays and reduce windshield glare, improving safety. Similarly, multilayer optical films, initially developed to enhance display energy efficiency, now optimize plant growth in greenhouses and improve heat management in EV batteries.
By embedding its engineers and experts directly with partners, 3M ensures solutions are practical and tailored to real-world challenges. Innovation at 3M isn’t just about creating new products—it’s about integrating them seamlessly into customers’ processes to deliver meaningful results.
Uncomplicating the Future
As CES attendees explore advancements in mobility, consumer electronics, and climate tech, they’ll see countless technologies enabled by 3M. Whether it’s materials for foldable phones or systems improving EV battery safety, 3M’s influence is everywhere. Yet, the company remains focused on collaboration, often letting its partners take the spotlight.
At the end of the day, 3M exists to simplify the complex, help partners achieve what they can’t on their own, and create technologies that are indispensable to world. For 3M, “uncomplicating” isn’t just a tagline—it’s a philosophy. By combining material science expertise with a collaborative spirit, 3M turns complexity into opportunity, enabling problem solvers worldwide.
Learn more about 3M Uncomplicated at CES.
