How did 3M internationalize? How did it exploit its core competencies developed at home? How did 3M try to diffuse its core competencies to its overseas subsidiaries? Case 2.1 3M, the spirit of innovation The US-based conglomerate 3M has been famous for decades for its culture of innovation. Its rule of allowing 15 per cent of its employees’ working hours to be spent on their own projects has been widely cited as the symbol of tolerance for experimentation. However, there is more to the firm’s core competences than this tolerance.