Cooperation between governments and businesses is imperative for developing innovation, Philip Morris international senior vice-president for external affairs, Gregoire Verdeaux, said on Thursday, speaking at the 7th Delphi Forum.

“Today, a series of events that we’ve experienced as a society, such as recession, the war in Syria, migration, the coronavirus pandemic and the war in Ukraine, have dramatically changed what we considered normalcy,” he said.

Verdeaux said the pandemic, primarily, has significantly increased inequity between the developed and developing world, while also demonstrating the limited capacity of some governments to deal with specific problems. The benefits of private and public sector cooperation were, conversely, demonstrated during the pandemic.

Asked to comment on his company’s “Philip Morris international smoke free vision” initiative, Verdeaux referred to an innovative product that has been certified by the FDA as containing fewer toxic ingredients, compared to cigarettes. He also said a basic knowledge of technology is necessary for its use.

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