Now you owe me a favour! We have discovered a bona fide reason for a business trip to Grasse, in south-east France. Aromatics is a serious global industry.
The area around Grasse, known for two centuries for the production of aromatic and medicinal plants and extracts, now is home to 80 companies and 3,500 jobs in the “Science of Living Things” industries.
Working with natural materials and synthetic products to create fragrances and flavours, these companies are developing their know-how in different sectors – perfumery, domestic products, cosmetics, food-processing, pharmaceuticals and dermatological products.
The sector represents 10% of the world market (1 billion euros) and exports 60% of production.
In 2003. the Azur-Provence district and the Grasse Entrepreneurs’ Club launched a project for a “World Observatory of Nature” to be set up in Grasse. This technological platform was intended to constitute a shared resource for the industries in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (PACA) region.). After meeting in July 2003, the participants in the centre defined the fields for cooperative work e.g. nurturing new companies, training programs, research, a collection of plants producing natural essences, communication, conferences and conventions.
We have not caught up with these folks, so if any blog readers can update u, we would appreciate it.
The original information came from our friends at LPS in France - LPS Info n°6. Contact lionel.rubaudo@poleazurprovence.com or Xavier Roy at LPS in France splinfo@wanadoo.fr
