Dubai, a city known for its futuristic skyline and appetite for innovation, recently played host to Technovation 2025, a global gathering dedicated to reimagining public health through science and technology. The conference, led by Philip Morris International (PMI), brought together scientists, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and public health experts from around the world to explore how innovation can help accelerate the shift toward a smoke-free future, especially across developing nations in the Global South, where smoking rates remain high and access to alternatives limited.
While cigarette smoking continues to decline in some parts of the world, many low- and middle-income countries still face high rates of tobacco use. For these regions, misinformation, affordability and limited access to innovation remain major barriers to progress.
Opening the discussion, PMI CEO Jacek Olczak, said: “Cigarettes should never be the easiest or the only option, in a world where smoke-free technology is available, this should not be the case. Today, some smokers have access to better alternatives, while others are left without choices. Do we want a future where only certain countries eradicate smoking, while others still see rates soaring above 20% or even 40%?”
Olczak emphasized that the science and technology for a smoke-free future already exist, but progress depends on equitable access.
“The technology for a smoke-free future is here and ready for change, but real progress happens when innovation reaches people’s lives. Only by working together with regulators, scientists, civil society, and consumers, we can we overcome barriers and create lasting change.”
Speakers at Technovation noted that in many developing economies, access to these alternatives remains limited due to both policy and cost.
Speaking to Lifestyle and Tech, Fred De Wilde, President of PMI’s South and Southeast Asia, Middle East, Africa, and CIS region, explained that bringing smoke-free alternatives to developing economies comes with unique challenges.
“Many smokers remain unaware of the health risks, and economic barriers often limit access to new technologies. High upfront costs can be daunting, but by developing a diverse product portfolio, we aim to make smoke-free choices accessible to people from all income levels.”
He added that PMIs mission is clear, “No one should be left behind on the journey to a smoke-free future. By understanding local needs and purchasing power, we are making better alternatives available to a broader audience.”
Another recurring theme was the need to separate myth from science when it comes to nicotine.
Dr. David Khayat, Professor of Oncology at Pierre et Marie Curie University in Paris, noted that “Nicotine is often wrongly associated with cancer because it was traditionally consumed through cigarettes. Nicotine itself is addictive but not a carcinogen, and this misunderstanding hampers public health efforts and harm reduction strategies. It IS time to send a clear message.”
His remarks echoed what many scientists have long emphasized, that while nicotine keeps people smoking, it is the combustion of tobacco that produces most of the toxic substances linked to disease.
Tomoko Iida, PMI’s Director of Scientific Engagement for the region, expanded on this by explaining that harm reduction is rooted in realism.
“Harm reduction is about minimizing the negative consequences associated with risky behaviors, such as smoking. Even the best reduced-risk product will have no impact on public health if nobody uses it. That is why it is key for these innovations to be widely accessible and affordable to smokers everywhere.”
She pointed to Japan and Sweden as examples of harm reduction in action, where the introduction of heated tobacco and oral nicotine products has led to significant declines in cigarette consumption and smoking-related diseases.
But innovation alone, many speakers said, is not enough.
Tommaso Di Giovanni, PMI’s Vice President of Communications and Engagements, warned that when communication fails, misinformation thrives, fueling confusion, outdated policies, and widening the gap to better choices.
“Public health needs innovative policies based on facts, not ideology, to encourage smokers to switch and companies to invest in less harmful alternatives. Consumer advocate John Paul Solis from the Philippines echoed this view, saying that regulators have a choice to make. They can continue shaping policies based on outdated fears, or they can start listening to the people who live with these decisions every day.”
For some participants, the issue was not only about science and technology, but also empowerment. South African journalist Gift Vuyani Khosa, who has personally switched to smoke-free alternatives, shared his experience.
“As a smoke-free product user, I have experienced firsthand the significant benefits that come from making a complete switch and leaving cigarettes behind. As a journalist, I believe that access to transparent, fact-based information is absolutely crucial,only when people have reliable knowledge can they make informed choices with confidence.”
Frederick Roeder, Managing Director of the Consumer Choice Center, reminded the audience that progress often comes from innovation, not regulation. “We fortunately live in times where innovation and technical progress solve a lot of problems consumers and society face. The same applies to less harmful ways of consuming nicotine: innovation and not bans are the solution. Policymakers should focus on providing technological-neutral frameworks that allow us to innovate.”
As the discussions at Technovation Dubai made clear, creating a smoke-free world requires more than scientific breakthroughs. It demands cooperation, access, education, and the political will to make new technologies available to everyone. The event’s closing message was simple but powerful: the path to a healthier, smoke-free future lies not in prohibition, but in progress — ensuring that no country, and no smoker, is left behind.