ST. PAUL, Minn. & TAOYUAN, Taiwan -- 3M subsidiary, 3M Taiwan, has announced plans to establish a customer technology and innovation center in Yang-Mei City, Taoyuan County, to help bring innovation closer to its customers in Taiwan.

The 3M Customer Technical Center will serve as a base for customers to test 3M’s products and solutions that are new to the local market.

“3M Taiwan is committed to growing local talents and the new innovation center is going to better stimulate industry development in Taiwan by showcasing and encouraging innovation,” said George Chao, managing director, 3M Taiwan.

Construction of the three-story Customer Technical Center is expected to be complete in 2012. The first floor will be an interaction center for key industries in Taiwan, such as automotive and machinery, to provide an experience involving large-size 3M products to customers. The second floor will feature an industry experience center to demonstrate scientific theories in easy-to-understand scientific applications for visitors such as the general public, communities and education groups. The third floor will be an education and training center that can accommodate approximately 300 people, for customers, communities and all of Taiwan to share technologies with one another.

In keeping with 3M’s commitment to environmental protection, the 3M Customer Technical Center will be a green building, which will use wind power generation to supply power to part of its premises. There also are plans for an ecological pond for effective energy saving and water conservation, and a large “living” logo that will be filled with soil covered by recycled, non-woven Scotch-Brite material, to prevent weeds.