ST. PAUL, Minn. – (Feb. 21, 2012) – 3M ESPE was recently named the most innovative company in the worldwide dental industry for the seventh consecutive year. The recognition was published in the2011 Dental Industry Review conducted by The Anaheim Group, distributors of Dental Fax Weekly.
The “most innovative” designation is awarded based on three criteria: FDA 510(k) new product clearances for the U.S. market; United States Patent Office dental industry patents; and dental patents from the European Patent Office and the World International Patent Office. The report cited 81 innovations in total for the company during 2011, calling 3M ESPE “a patent dynamo, both in the U.S. and Europe.”
“This achievement is made possible not only by 3M’s continued investment in research and development, but also our culture. Global collaboration and the sharing of ideas lead to new products. That collaboration is both expected and encouraged, it’s a part of who we are,” said Larry Lair, division vice president and general manager, 3M ESPE.
3M ESPE’s ability to innovate benefits from 3M’s global reach and resources, which includes more than 30 Customer Innovation Centers around the world. These facilities are dedicated to conducting innovation processes with customers. Using these and other tools, 3M combines customer insight, new ideas and sophisticated technologies to pursue possibilities that will make life better and easier for people around the world.
“We are honored by this recognition, and we also look forward to an outstanding year in 2012,” said Lair. “No one can rest on past performance. We hope that our idea pipeline and upcoming product introductions will help put us in the same position next year.”
