KT&G announced on June 19 that it has been selected for the 'Global 100 Innovative Companies' list by Lexis Nexis, a global intellectual property (IP) solutions company, for the fourth consecutive year. Pictured are Shin Tae-cheol, head of KT&G's R&D center (left), and Kim Dong-hyun, Senior Researcher at Lexis Nexis (right). [Photo: KT&G]
KT&G has been recognized for its global patent competitiveness and technological innovation, making it onto the list of the world's top 100 innovative companies for four consecutive years.
On June 19, KT&G announced that it was named to the 'Global 100 Innovative Companies' list by Lexis Nexis on June 18. This marks the fourth consecutive year that KT&G has been included in the list, making it the only consumer goods company in South Korea to achieve this distinction for four years in a row.
Lexis Nexis analyzes global patent and corporate data to select 100 companies each year that demonstrate high levels of technological innovation across various sectors, including information technology, electronics, automotive, and consumer goods.
The evaluation focuses not only on the number of patents held but also on the qualitative growth of recent patent portfolios, technological impact, and global application competitiveness. This year's list includes companies from 18 countries, with KT&G representing South Korea in the consumer goods sector.
KT&G has been recognized for enhancing its technological competitiveness in next-generation products, such as electronic cigarettes, through systematic management of intellectual property rights.
Last year, the company registered 2,342 new intellectual property rights, bringing its total to 16,751 by the end of the year. Of these, 12,929 were registered overseas, accounting for approximately 77% of the total.
Leveraging its accumulated IP competitiveness, KT&G has introduced the electronic cigarette brand 'lil' and its dedicated sticks, strengthening its market position both domestically and internationally.
The recently launched 'lil Able 3.0' features technology that reduces preheating time by about 10 seconds and cuts the full charging time in half. During its pre-sale in February, all available units were sold out.
KT&G has expanded the availability of the 'lil Able 3.0' from flagship stores and convenience stores in Seoul to convenience stores nationwide since June 17. The cumulative sales of the 'lil Able' series have surpassed 1 million units, as the company continues to expand its electronic cigarette devices and dedicated sticks.
The performance of KT&G's next-generation products is also on the rise. Last year, the company's dedicated sticks for electronic cigarettes held approximately 46% market share in South Korea, maintaining a leading position. As it broadens its overseas sales regions and distribution networks, all metrics—revenue, operating profit, and sales volume—have increased compared to the previous year.
A KT&G representative stated, "We will continue to introduce differentiated products and services based on our proprietary technology, strengthening our technological leadership in the global market."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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