KT&G Selected as a “Top 100 Global Innovator” by LexisNexis for 4th Consecutive Year
Only Korean consumer goods company to earn the distinction, recognized for innovation backed by 16,751 registered intellectual property rights
Photo Description
KT&G (President Bang Kyung-man) was selected as a “Top 100 Global Innovator” by the American IP solution and data analytics company LexisNexis on Jun. 18, winning the title for the four consecutive years since 2023. (Photo) Shin Tae-cheol (left), Head of the KT&G R&D Center, and Kim Dong-hyun (right), Senior Researcher at LexisNexis,
pose together for a commemorative photo at the awards ceremony.
KT&G (President Bang Kyung-man) was selected as a “Top 100 Global Innovator” by the global intellectual property (IP) solutions company LexisNexis on Jun. 18, winning the title for four consecutive years since 2023.
Based on global patents and corporate data, LexisNexis annually selects and announces 100 global innovators across various fields, including IT, electronics, automobiles, and consumer goods. KT&G is the only Korean consumer goods company to be recognized for four consecutive years, reaffirming its prowess and innovation capabilities in the global technology market.
In particular, LexisNexis held KT&G in high regard for strengthening the fundamental competitiveness in its next-generation products (NGP) through systematic IP management. KT&G registered a total of 2,342 intellectual property rights in 2025 alone, bringing its cumulative portfolio to 16,751 registered IP rights as of last year. Of these, 12,929 are overseas intellectual property rights, showcasing KT&G’s focus on sharpening its competitive edge in technology innovation based on intellectual property.
Leveraging its accumulated IP, KT&G is strengthening its competitive edge in the domestic and overseas markets through “lil,” an e-cigarette brand that applies the company’s unique, innovative technology, along with exclusive sticks. Building on these technological strengths, KT&G has also focused on developing products that enhance user convenience. Its recently launched lil AIBLE 3.0 sold out during its pre-order period, thanks to its reduced preheating time and fast-charging capabilities.
Dedicated tobacco sticks for NGP products also maintained their market-leading position in Korea with an approximately 46% market share last year, while the company’s overseas NGP business continued to expand steadily. As a result, the NGP business achieved year-on-year growth in revenue, operating profit, and sales volume.
A KT&G official stated, “Being named one of the Top 100 Global Innovators for the fourth consecutive year recognizes our continued efforts to strengthen technological innovation and intellectual property competitiveness. Going forward, we will continue to introduce differentiated products and services based on our proprietary technologies while further reinforcing our technology leadership in the global market.”