2006



Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

OVERVIEW

3M is a diversified global manufacturer, technology innovator and marketer of a wide variety of products. 3M manages its operations in six operating business segments: Industrial and Transportation; Health Care; Display and Graphics; Consumer and Office; Safety, Security and Protection Services; and Electro and Communications.

3M’s strategy emphasizes a commitment to grow at a faster pace, using a four-pronged approach, which includes reinvesting in its core businesses, developing adjacent emerging business opportunities, expanding on the Company’s already world-class capabilities outside the United States, and acquiring companies in faster-growing industries.

·                  3M’s reinvestment in the core is evidenced through its 2006 investments in new production capacity in a number of growing and highly profitable businesses, such as medical, respiratory protection, LCD films and others. In addition, 3M is investing in research and development, which should position our existing business portfolio for accelerated growth.

·                  3M launched five new emerging business opportunities, including our Track and Trace initiative, global mining, food safety, filtration, and energy. 3M made great progress on its Track and Trace initiative in 2006, merging a number of formerly disparate efforts into one single growth engine for the future. Track and Trace has a growing array of applications — from tracking packages to managing medical and legal records.

·                  3M continued to build its capabilities in many of the world’s fastest-growing emerging economies in 2006. 3M began construction of three new plants in China, one in Russia, one in Poland and one in India. By the end of 2007, 3M expects to have 10 or more plants open or under construction in China. 3M also drove outstanding growth in more developed countries. European sales growth was about 10% in U.S. dollars, and 8.3% in local currencies.

·                  3M closed on 19 acquisitions in 2006, all contributing to growth in different ways. Acquisitions were made to add products and gap-fillers, to expand our offerings and become more important to our customers, to add capacity, to get access to local markets via local brands, and to augment our existing technology base.

With a continued focus on these strategies into 2007, 3M believes it can transform itself into a faster-growing company.

The Company expects to increase both research and development (excluding the pharmaceuticals business, acquired in-process research and development charge and restructuring-related items) and capital expenditures in 2007, with investments in growth programs around the world. Research, development and related expenses totaled $1.522 billion in 2006. This included a $95 million in-process research and development charge (discussed in Note 2) and approximately $75 million in restructuring-related items (discussed in Note 4). Adjusted for these items, research, development and related expenses still increased by over 6%. Total capital expenditures for 2006 totaled