By Maryna Gudym
The heated tobacco products (HTP) market continues its evolution, primarily fueled by a shift towards bladeless heating technologies. Induction heating solutions are rapidly becoming standardized across diverse markets. IQOS Iluma and TEREA sticks internal susceptors represent a significant evolution in the HTP market.
Other innovations in heating technology also persist. New heating technologies like convection heating and infrared heating are gaining traction as efficient alternatives to traditional systems. These advanced heating technologies offer distinct advantages in terms of energy efficiency and heat-up speed. The latest IPs are also focused on laser and microwave heating solutions.
There’s increased interest in sectional/zonal heating solutions and hybrid heating systems in the Asian market. These solutions promise better heating properties and flavor release. Heating systems with multi-sectional/multi-zonal heaters are building momentum, some even offering modes for reusing partially consumed sticks. Such products were identified in the Japanese market.
Bluetooth connectivity and application-driven functionality are becoming essential in modern HTP devices, offering maximum customization, data collection, and analysis, as well as AI adjustment. These advanced heating systems also support critical features such as age verification, electronic child locks, and stick recognition technology to select personalized heating profiles based on individual user preferences.
The emergence of novel consumable designs is growing, driven by the introduction of innovative flat-shaped and pod-shaped consumables prefilled with tobacco slurry or wax. The trend highlights a shift towards more efficient and user-friendly solutions, showing such benefits as increased vapor output, authentic flavor release, pause mode functionality, and reduced heat-up time.
Flavor development remains crucial, especially considering rising flavor bans in the EU. This has led to an increase in flavored herbal and cellulose heated sticks as a cost-effective alternative to bypass flavor bans and high tax rates for tobacco products. The expansion of tobacco lines with more tobacco flavor varieties is also observed. In the MENA region, more flavors are being added to the heated tobacco stick portfolio. Clove-infused sticks are increasingly being adopted in the region, showcasing a growing interest in alternative filling materials.
The trend towards localized production of small batches of granular Iluma-compatible sticks, particularly with distribution trials in MENA, highlights an effort to tailor products to regional tastes and optimize supply chains. This is also driven by intellectual property limitations in the region, which may restrict the import or use of certain technologies, prompting manufacturers to explore more adaptable, locally managed solutions.
Overall, while HTPs are seeing refinements in heating methods, stick compatibility, and novel consumable design, the fundamental experience remains largely consistent. The focus is on optimization, compliance, and expanding the flavor spectrum within regulatory constraints.
Maryna Gudym is the business development manager for Wingle Group Electronics Limited
