Philip Morris International (PMI) is redefining its identity from a legacy tobacco company into a forward-thinking provider of next-generation, smoke-free products, led by an investment of over $14 billion in innovation, the company’s vice president of communications and engagement said.
“We’re no longer the company we once were a decade ago. Today, we’re a different organization, powered by more than 1,400 scientists, engineers and technicians who have developed innovative products and the science that supports them,” said PMI vice president of communications and engagement Tommaso Di Giovanni at the Technovation 2025: Smokefree by PMI event in Dubai.
“This change is tangible. The real question now is: can we accelerate it? I believe the answer is yes,” he said.
Di Giovanni said the company’s smoke-free products are now present in 97 countries and have been adopted by 41 million adult smokers, nearly 75 percent of whom have fully switched from cigarettes. He said these innovative alternatives now account for more than 40 percent of the company’s total revenue.
Di Giovanni compared the effort to the fast-tracked development of COVID-19 vaccines, urging public health experts and academic institutions to help speed up the shift, stressing that when key players come together, progress could happen much more quickly.
He said driving meaningful change depends on four critical factors: ensuring smokers can access the products, making those products acceptable and appealing, raising awareness about their benefits and potential risks and keeping them affordable.
PMI’s transition toward smoke-free products began following its separation from Altria, with 2014 identified as a turning point when the heated tobacco product IQOS was first test-marketed in Japan and Italy.
A major milestone came in 2020, when the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the sale of IQOS with claims that it significantly lowers exposure to harmful chemicals compared to traditional cigarettes.
“It was a landmark moment—the first time a product like IQOS received authorization from a major regulatory body such as the US FDA,” Di Giovanni said.
“That decision didn’t just validate years of research and development; it shifted the entire conversation around tobacco harm reduction,” he said.
In 2022, PMI broadened its product portfolio by acquiring Swedish Match, the company behind Zyn, a prominent nicotine pouch brand.
Di Giovanni said innovation doesn’t happen overnight. “What we’re dealing with isn’t new—every breakthrough faces skepticism at first. People need time to understand and embrace change. But history shows us that humanity ultimately chooses progress. It’s a natural evolution,” he said.
