Philip Morris Asia Limited Wins 2020 Technology Excellence Awards by Hong Kong Business

Philip Morris Asia Limited (PMAL) was awarded the Publisher's Choice Award for Research & Development - Consumer Products (Durables) at the recently concluded HKB Technology Excellence Awards 2020. The esteemed awards programme, presented by Hong Kong Business magazine, recognises enterprises that have made exceptional contributions in developing groundbreaking projects, digital services, reimagined strategies, and technological initiatives. Winners were judged on the basis of uniqueness and innovation, effectiveness and impact, and dynamism.

PMAL has been awarded in the Technology Excellence Awards 2020 by HKB for its efforts placed in technology & innovation as it continues its full-scale business transformation to deliver a smoke-free future and replace cigarettes with better alternatives for those adults who would otherwise continue to smoke.

“It is gratifying to be recognised by the business community for the technology and innovation that are fueling our progress toward a smoke-free future,” said Brett Cooper, General Manager at PMAL. “The honor of receiving this award from HKB is a testament to our efforts in driving innovation at the core of our business strategy to enable business transformation.”

The fundamental change in the company can also be seen in the creation of innovation outposts in tech-supportive landscapes such as Hong Kong. With over US$10 million investment to establish the Electronics Hub (E-Hub) in Wong Chuk Hang since 2018, we currently employ around 100 talents in the new product introduction, engineering & industrialization, battery technology, procurement, supply chain, quality management fields, etc. We also recruit talents to undertake R&D work and encourage them to contribute to Hong Kong’s innovation and technology development. E-Hub also serves as the global hub for new product introduction, development, industrialization, and distribution to markets worldwide.

“Philip Morris International (PMI) is transforming our business with a purpose. Science, innovation and technology are at the core of our vision of convincing all those who would otherwise continue smoking to switch smoke-free products as soon as possible,” Cooper said. “The science around smoking has shown that it is the harmful chemicals associated with burning that are the primary cause of harm, not nicotine. Today’s technology is allowing for the development of a new, innovative category of inhalable tobacco and nicotine products that significantly reduce these harmful chemicals, without combustion.”

PMI is building a future on a new category of smoke-free products that, whilst not risk-free, are a much better alternative than continuing to smoke. Through multidisciplinary capabilities in product development, state-of-the-art facilities and scientific substantiation, PMI aims to ensure that its smoke-free products meet adult consumer preferences and rigorous regulatory requirements. As of 30 June 2020, PMI estimates that approximately 11.2 million adult smokers around the world have already stopped smoking and switched to PMI's heat-not-burn product, currently available for sale in 57 markets in key cities or nationwide under the IQOS brand.

Leveraging technology and innovation to accelerate toward a smoke-free future is central to PMI’s transformation, so it is focused on bringing more solutions to fruition in its drive to reach that day as soon as possible.

The HKB Technology Excellence Awards, presented by Hong Kong Business, was held via video conferencing throughout the month of September.

This year’s nominations were judged by a panel consisting of Gilles Alexandre Salansy, Partner, Accounting and Outsourcing at Mazars Hong Kong; Jason Yau, Partner, Technology and Management Consulting at RSM Hong Kong; Douglas Kwan, Partner, Assurance and Advisory Services at SHINEWING (HK) CPA Limited; Steve Lo, Partner and Asia-Pacific Chief Innovation Officer at Ernst & Young; and Loretta Fong, Partner and Telecommunications Leader at PwC Hong Kong.

If you would like to join the 2021 awards and be acclaimed for your company’s exceptional technological innovations, please email Julie Anne Nuñez at [email protected]