Internationally-recognised expertise

The PASS Cluster companies form an entire supply chain, from perfumed and aromatic plant cultivation, to the production of aromatic ingredients right up to their formulation and composition into finished products.

Perfume, aromatic and medicinal plant production 

80 different varieties of perfume, aromatic and medicinal plants are cultivated within the PASS Cluster area.

Among these, cultivated lavender plant species (Lavender/Lavandin) are grown on more than 90% of land (some 16,000 ha.), rising to 95% if Clary Sage is included.  

Most of the distilleries in France are located in the region covered by the PASS Cluster.

Aromatic ingredient producers

The PASS Cluster is built on an unrivalled concentration of companies producing aromatic ingredients which together account for more than half of French production.  This includes national leaders in the industry and some of the world’s top-ten leading companies.  This technical, scientific and human capital in processing natural raw materials has also attracted other global leaders in the industry to the PASS Cluster’s R&D park such as Firmenich and International Flavors and Fragrances.

No other region in Europe has such a concentration of different companies in this business sector.

Aromatic ingredients can be obtained from 2 processes. These are industrial chemical processing of petroleum derivatives or natural by-products and the extraction of natural raw materials.    

The aromatic ingredients obtained are used either as fragrance compositions or food flavourings. They are intended for 4 main industry sectors in key markets including alcoholic perfumery, cosmetic products, detergents and agri-food products.

The finished product

The main applications of products stemming from the PASS Cluster are in the areas of:

• Cosmetics/perfumes, with a sizeable industry in the PACA region
• Consumer good and detergents, with a great many small companies, mainly in the Departments of the Bouches du Rhône and the Alpes de Haute Provence
• Food industry applications, principally represented by businesses in the Alpes de Haute Provence relying on proximity to raw materials and local know-how

A close-knit network of vital service companies

A close-knit network of service companies essential for the marketing of products offered by companies in this sector completes the spread of PASS Cluster members. These companies focus on, for example, the production of phytosanitary products, conducting and refining of toxicological tests as well as analytical chemistry or equipment.