3M explores new opportunities to expand in COVID-19 fight

March 31, 2020 | 13:55

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3M, a global leader in personal protective equipment, is collaborating with giant automobile manufacturer Ford to build powered air-purifying respirators (PAPRs) to meet the growing demand for personal protective equipment globally due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

3m explores new opportunities to expand in covid 19 fight

A representative of 3M Vietnam told VIR that, “3M is exploring all available opportunities to further expand our capacity and get healthcare supplies as quickly as possible to where they’re needed the most – which includes partnering with other companies like Ford.”

“This partnership has the potential of increasing our production of powered air-purifying respirators by tenfold,” the representative elaborated.

According to 3M, Ford will make components that go into the PAPRs in its US facilities and 3M will build the PAPRs at its factories in the US. At present, they do not have a timeline on when the first products will be ready, but they are working hard to proceed quickly.

The target market for 3M's PAPR are healthcare facilities and workers who need respiratory protection over long periods of time. A PAPR is more comfortable in those situations that an N95 respirator.

Established in 1994, 3M Vietnam operates in the fields of industry, safety and graphics, healthcare, and consumer goods. At the end of December 31, 2018, the company's revenue was estimated at $32.765 billion, 3.5 per cent higher than in the same period last year.

3M, one of the US Fortune 500 multinational corporations, has been continuously listed among Vietnam’s top 100 places to work in recent years thanks to its unique culture of flexibility, innovation, and its focus on ethics and sustainability.

By Bich Thuy

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