Emerging nicotine companies said regulatory barriers, consumer education and the infrastructure surrounding products are increasingly shaping innovation at GTNF 2026 in Lisbon. Anna Franzén, chief regulatory, clinical and quality officer at Emplicure Consumer AB, said consumer diversity is important and that companies need greater cross-functional cooperation. Ronan Barry, chief legal and corporate affairs officer at AIR, said the share of nicotine consumers using combustible cigarettes has fallen from roughly 90%-95% a decade ago to about half today. He said innovation still needs to match the results of traditional smoking while providing safer alternatives, but argued that regulatory requirements and compliance costs can give illicit operators an advantage.
Fredrik Laurell, CEO of Nicoccino, said the industry has a responsibility to consumers who prefer nicotine to provide quality, safer products. He said overly restrictive regulations can create barriers for legitimate businesses while criminals face fewer obstacles, and called for greater cooperation between industry and regulators. Martin Miller, chief commercial officer at IKE, said innovation has shifted from the product itself to the infrastructure connecting consumers, products and regulation. He said manufacturers need to build regulatory considerations into products from the beginning rather than retrofit them later.
Ryan Selby, managing director of Emerald Innovations, said nicotine adoption depends on more than the substance itself, with rituals and established consumer behaviors also influencing product use. He said heavily regulated markets limit opportunities to test new products and argued that companies need room to innovate while maintaining appropriate regulation. Selby also said limited consumer awareness remains a challenge, arguing that decades of public messaging about the risks of smoking have also contributed to misconceptions about nicotine. He said larger tobacco companies can play an important role in bringing new products to global markets.
