15 percent culture: creativity needs freedom.

A core belief at 3M is that creativity needs freedom. That’s why, since about 1948, we’ve encouraged our employees to take our resources, to build up a unique team and to follow their own insights in pursuit of problem-solving — and to spend 15 percent of their working time to do it.

That initiative is alive and well today, and has led to some of our most ingenious inventions, including:

• Automobile window treatment films … which enhance comfort, security and privacy in your vehicle.
• Multi-layer optical film, which reflects 95 percent of all light. It’s likely in your laptop, smart phone and big-screen TV … making the screen brighter, while reducing energy use.