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SINGAPORE: The labour movement said it will support the government's call to boost innovation by encouraging firms to take up incentives announced in the recent Budget.
And its chief Lim Swee Say noted that companies can create a culture of innovation among staff through management practices and support networks.
At 3M, staff are entitled to spend 15 per cent of their working hours on a project they think will help the company. In turn, they get financial and marketing support.
Amy Tan, technical manager, 3M, said: "Sometimes I disagree with my boss in some manner and she doesn't say no to me immediately. She says 'Why don't you try it out and let's see where we can go from here.'"
This approach has turned the multi-billion dollar company into one of the world's most creative ones too.
With the government now setting its sights on raising productivity through innovation, the 3M experience could provide some useful lessons. A large part of its success lies in creating a culture of innovation among staff, but replicating this to the rest of the economy could take some time.
On a visit to the company on Thursday, labour chief Lim Swee Say noted that the concept was still poorly understood.
He said: "The question about innovation is going for breakthrough. Then the question is, 'who is going to achieve this breakthrough?' Is it just the PMETs, or is it just the scientists, the engineers, the technologists? Or does it include the people in the sales and marketing, the people involved as rank-and-file workers."
Mr Lim noted that anyone can innovate so long as the right processes and support are in place. He added that on its part, NTUC will support government incentives towards this goal, including the new Productivity and Innovation Credit scheme.
Companies will get tax deductions for investing in activities like staff training and R&D. And NTUC hopes that by setting an example, it may spur others to take up the productivity challenge. - CNA/vm
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