The 2026 Technovation Smoke-Free by PMI event took place 19-20 May in Sweden.

TRBusiness was in Sweden this week, attending the Technovation Smoke-Free by PMI (Philip Morris International) event at the Fotografiska Museum of Photography Art & Culture, in Stockholm.

The conference programme – centred around “thinking differently” – showcased the company’s bold and ambitious vision for a smoke-free future.

PMI aims to accelerate the transition away from traditional combustible cigarettes, switching adults who would otherwise continue to smoke to smoke-free alternatives.

Since 2008, the company has invested over US$16 billion in R&D of smoke-free products, creating a multi-category smoke-free portfolio which includes heated tobacco products such as IQOS; e-vapor products such as VEEV; snus; and nicotine pouch brand ZYN.

The Technovation event explored how technology, innovation and evidence-based regulation could shape the future of nicotine and tobacco harm reduction.

The location choice was significant, aligning with PMI’s ambition that combustible cigarettes should ultimately became a thing of the past – i.e. products that “belong in a museum”. Attendees were also invited to participate in a ‘Museum of Misconceptions’ VR experience. Sweden was a natural geographic choice, given the country’s success in lowering smoking rates.

PMI’s aspiration for a smoke-free future was further underlined at the culmination of the day, through the symbolic unveiling of a museum-style display case featuring cigarettes as historical objects, no longer in everyday use.

Speakers at the Technovation event shared how regulation, consumer behaviour and the travel retail channel are set to play an increasingly influential role in the global shift towards smoke-free alternatives. Here are TRB’s seven key takeaways from an informative and thought-provoking event.

1. The role of innovation vs scepticism

A recurring theme at this year’s Technovation event was the idea that meaningful innovation is almost always met with scepticism before it gains acceptance. Yet progress often depends on society’s willingness to embrace change, even when it feels unfamiliar and uncomfortable.

PMI Vice President Communications and Engagement Tommaso Di Giovanni noted: “We take innovation for granted, very often. And almost always there is resistance and scepticism. We question it – and asking critical questions is healthy. The challenge is when that scepticism blocks innovation…it may actually delay the adoption of something that can change our lives.”

The Technovation event explored the conflict between innovation and acceptance – and its implications for the adoption of smoke-free alternatives.

Di Giovanni positioned PMI’s smoke-free alternatives within a broader historical narrative of transformative technologies that initially faced resistance. The conclusion was that innovation-led change – particularly in highly regulated sectors – depends not only on product development, but also on building trust, understanding and confidence among consumers and policymakers.

He explained: “Bottom line, as a company, we’re doing everything to get to a smoke-free future as soon as possible. But the truth is we can’t do it alone, or at least, not at the same pace. We need to work together, because regulation is important, acceptance in society is important, and acceptance by consumers is important. But it’s achievable.”

Since 2008 PMI has invested over US$16 billion in R&D of smoke-free products, creating a multi-category smoke-free portfolio.

Di Giovanni concluded: “In 2026, we’re in 106 markets and there are 43 million people who use our smoke-free products. 70% of them have abandoned cigarettes. 43% of our net revenues are from these [smoke-free] products.

“We’re transforming into a smoke-free company. Cigarettes are being left behind in our company – and we’re happy about it. But the truth is, more than a billion people still smoke around the world. So there’s a lot of work to be done by us, by governments, and by society at large to get to a point where cigarettes belong in a museum.”

2. Learning from the Swedish Experience

Another key takeaway from Technovation 2026 centred on what speakers described as the “Swedish experience” – a real-world example of how the country’s decision to embrace certain tobacco harm reduction policies has incentivised smokers to make better choices.

Panellists PMI Group Chief Corporate Affairs Officer Christos Harpantidis and PMI CEO Swedish Match AB & President Oral Products Nick Ricketts discussed how science, policy and responsible commercialisation could shape the next phase of smoke-free progress.

Technovation attendees heard how Sweden’s tobacco harm reduction policies have enabled the country to reduce its smoking rate from 15% to 5.4%.

The audience heard how Sweden has the lowest smoking rate in the European Union. In just 15 years, it has reduced its smoking rate from 15% to 5.4%, just above the 5% that would qualify the country as “smoke-free”, according to WHO guidelines. The EU’s average smoking rate is approximately 23%, almost five times higher than Sweden’s.

The panellists argued that Sweden’s transformation was driven not by traditional tobacco prevention and cessation tactics, but by the widespread adoption of smoke-free nicotine products such as snus – and by embracing policies that include regulating and taxing smoke-free alternatives in a way that reflects the lower risk relative to cigarettes.

In addition to Sweden, Japan and New Zealand have also experienced a significant decline in cigarette smoking.

Among men, the group that switched earliest from smoking to snus, rates of lung cancer and tobacco-related mortality in Sweden are significantly lower than European averages. Yet the sale of snus is banned across the European Union, with the exception of Sweden.

The broader lesson for global markets, attendees heard, is that Sweden’s model offers multiple valuable insights into how smoking prevalence can decline – bringing with it significant long-term public health benefits – when adult smokers are offered compelling smoke-free alternatives to cigarettes.

3. The importance of science and consumer behaviour

A key message from the ‘Science Behind Oral Smokeless Products’ session was that the success of smoke-free alternatives depends not only on product innovation, but also on understanding consumer behaviour and nicotine use.

Speakers argued that adult smokers are more likely to switch when alternatives are both scientifically substantiated, and capable of delivering a satisfactory experience.

Speakers in this session challenged longstanding assumptions about nicotine, dependence, and relative risk.

The discussion stressed that effective harm reduction requires credible science, realistic behavioural insight, and products compelling enough to replace cigarettes entirely.

4. The need to challenge perceptions

This panel also challenged what it described as widespread misconceptions around oral smokeless products such as snus and nicotine pouches, particularly links to oral cancer and nicotine dependency.

Citing epidemiological data from Sweden and regulatory findings from the US, speakers emphasised that evidence does not support the assumption that modern oral products carry risks comparable to smoking.

The speakers on this panel also addressed what they described as widespread misconceptions around oral smokeless products.

Instead, they stressed the importance of evaluating both exposure levels and real-world outcomes, rather than relying on instinctive or emotional reactions to nicotine products.

The broader implication for the industry was that the future growth of smoke-free categories may depend as much on changing perceptions and regulatory attitudes, as on product innovation itself.

5. Driving education and understanding through GTR

A central theme to emerge across interviews with PMI’s Di Giovanni and with PMI US Director of Regulatory Science Brian Erkkila, was the growing importance of global travel retail (GTR) as a platform for driving awareness, trial and conversion of existing adult smokers to smoke-free alternatives.

“Airports are places where millions of people transit, and they are a place where you can convince people, whether they are consumers or leaders who can drive change, about the value of alternatives to cigarettes,” Di Giovanni declared.

PMI acknowledged the growing importance of GTR locations, such as Arlanda T5 pictured here, as a platform for driving awareness, trial and conversion of existing adult smokers to smoke-free alternatives.

PMI’s presence in over 160 countries in GTR provides access to 360 million adult smokers – a prime opportunity for education and behavioural change. Di Giovanni revealed that 20% of sales uptake of tobacco and nicotine products in the channel is through IQOS – above the threshold of most countries – but he emphasised that more can still be done.

Nicotine pouches in particular were presented as highly relevant for travellers, as they can be used discreetly inflight, and in smoke-free spaces without impacting those nearby.

Di Giovanni also emphasised how airports can play a role in helping adult consumers understand the relative differences between combustible cigarettes and smoke-free alternatives, including through digital engagement, tailored communication, and separate usage spaces for smokers and vapers.

Technovation attendees engaged with PMI’s smoke-free portfolio through experiential displays and an educational VR activation.

The ability to target adult consumers precisely through digital channels, while complying with regulation, was also identified as a key future opportunity for GTR.

Erkkila confirmed that the channel is well placed to play a pivotal role in driving smoker conversion to smoke-free alternatives, if adult consumers shopping for cigarettes are exposed to alternatives such as nicotine pouches and heated tobacco products in a highly visible environment.

“People are looking to make the choice that is better for them,” Erkkila noted. “They want to make the choice that fits into their life. What we see over time is that people who adopt that dual-use activity quit smoking ‘by mistake’. They don’t necessarily intend to, but they start using pouches more and more and not cigarettes.”

6. The future of harm reduction policy

The central message from the ‘Future of Harm Reduction Policy: Regulating for Better Outcomes’ session was that policymakers should focus on managing risk, rather than attempting to eliminate nicotine use entirely.

Speakers argued that excessive regulation or outright prohibition of smoke-free alternatives often produces unintended consequences, including illicit trade, counterfeit products, reduced consumer access, youth uptake and continued cigarette smoking.

The central message from this session was that policymakers should focus on managing risk, rather than attempting to eliminate nicotine use entirely.

A recurring theme was the importance of risk-proportionate regulation. Speakers argued that products should be regulated according to their relative risk, with combustible cigarettes facing the strictest measures while lower-risk alternatives remain accessible, affordable and attractive enough for adult smokers to switch.

The discussion also highlighted the growing tension between public health goals and real-world consumer behaviour. Panellists argued that balanced regulation – including age verification, sensible product standards and enforcement against irresponsible actors – is essential to protecting youth access, while still ensuring adult smokers can access alternatives.

“Prohibition doesn’t eliminate demand,” noted PMI Vice President Regulatory, Product & ESG Policy Agnieszka Wyszynska-Szulc. “And there will always be ways to satisfy that demand…I think the challenge today is that regulators are very much focused on what they have been doing [in the past], rather than changing and pivoting their approach.”

7. How consumer choice might shape the future

The core message from the Technovation event’s final session was that Sweden’s dramatic decline in smoking prevalence is increasingly being used as evidence that harm reduction, consumer choice and risk-proportionate regulation can deliver better public health outcomes than prohibition-led approaches.

A major theme throughout the discussion was the belief that consumers – not governments alone – ultimately drive smoking cessation trends. Panellists argued that smokers need access to a broad range of alternatives, as opposed to a one-size-fits-all solution, noting that different markets have adopted different smoke-free categories depending on culture, regulation and consumer preference.

In this session, panellists argued that adult smokers need access to a broad range of smoke-free alternatives, as opposed to a one-size-fits-all solution, in order to transition away from traditional combustible cigarettes.

The UK’s vaping market, Japan’s heated tobacco growth, and Sweden’s snus tradition were all presented as examples of this consumer-led transition.

The session also focused heavily on the role of misinformation and political resistance in slowing harm reduction efforts. Several speakers criticised regulators and public health bodies for failing to acknowledge scientific evidence around reduced-risk products, while stressing that misconceptions about nicotine continue to shape public policy and medical advice.

PMI’s aspiration for a smoke-free future was conveyed through a symbolic museum-style display case of cigarettes, unveiled at the end of the day by Vice President Communications and Engagement Tommaso Di Giovanni.

Education, clearer communication around relative risk, and stronger engagement from health authorities were identified as critical next steps if smoking rates are to decline more rapidly worldwide.

Ultimately, the discussion framed Sweden not simply as a local success story, but as a potential blueprint for global tobacco harm reduction policy – one that speakers argued could save hundreds of thousands of lives annually if adapted more widely.

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