From perfumer training and botanical research to natural ingredient development and large-scale fragrance creation, a new wave of investment is reinforcing Grasse, France’s position as a global hub for fragrance.
For centuries, Grasse has been associated with flowers, fragrance and the craft of perfumery. In 2026, however, the French city’s relevance to the industry is extending well beyond heritage. A series of investments and initiatives from Givaudan, Symrise, Mane and IFF is putting new emphasis on the region’s talent, agricultural resources, natural ingredients and creative infrastructure.
The activity suggests that Grasse is being used as a platform for developing what comes next.
A tradition of training perfumers
The connection between Grasse and perfumery is perhaps most clearly illustrated by the Givaudan Perfumery School, which is celebrating its 80th anniversary in 2026.
Founded in Grasse in 1946 by Jean Carles, the school has trained generations of perfumers, with 28 graduates inducted into its Hall of Fame. Its four-year curriculum begins with an intensive study of fragrance raw materials, including the memorization of approximately 500 ingredients, before students work with plants and flowers in the school’s garden and translate their scents into laboratory formulations.
The program reflects the broader evolution taking place in Grasse. Traditional sensory training remains central, but it now sits alongside scientific knowledge, international experience and technology. Students participate in internships and ingredient-focused trips, while Givaudan has expanded the school’s global perspective through its Singapore campus.
The result is a model that connects the physical experience of fragrance materials with modern formulation and global perfumery.
In September, Symrise inaugurated a new Lautier 1795 production site in the Grasse region, bringing together sourcing, natural raw material transformation and fragrance expertise. From left: Camille Quintin, supply chain director; Michael Friede, president Scent & Care; Ricardo Omori, president global fragrance; Dr. Jean-Yves Parisot, CEO; Jérôme Viaud, mayor of Grasse; and Sophie Villeval, vice mayor Grasse.Symrise
Naturals bring the supply chain closer to home
That relationship between place, plants and perfumery is also driving investment in natural ingredients.
In September, Symrise inaugurated a new Lautier 1795 production site in the Grasse region, bringing together sourcing, natural raw material transformation and fragrance expertise. The move follows Symrise’s acquisition of French premium naturals specialist Floral Concept, headquartered in Saint-Cézaire-sur-Siagne in the Pays de Grasse.
Floral Concept specializes in premium botanical extracts, including jasmine, rose, orange blossom, ambrette and blackcurrant. Combined with the heritage and capabilities of Maison Lautier 1795, the business is becoming part of a dedicated Symrise Naturals cluster in the region.
The strategy brings together several parts of the natural ingredients value chain, from relationships with growers and sourcing through extraction, transformation and fragrance creation. Symrise has also pointed to technologies designed to improve traceability, consistency and the efficient transformation of natural raw materials.
The timing reflects the changing role of naturals in fine fragrance. Botanical materials are increasingly being valued not simply as traditional raw materials, but for their differentiation, traceability, sourcing stories and potential to provide distinctive olfactive profiles.
In September, Mane laid the foundation stone for a €45 million Fragrance Design Centre at its headquarters in Le Bar-sur-Loup. Pictured is an architect's rendering of the new facility.Mane
Mane invests in fragrance creation
Grasse’s role is not limited to ingredients. Mane is also expanding its creative and technical infrastructure in the region.
In September, Mane laid the foundation stone for a €45 million Fragrance Design Centre at its headquarters in Le Bar-sur-Loup. The 8,900-square-meter facility is scheduled to open in 2028 and will bring together approximately 250 employees involved in fragrance creation, evaluation and development.
The center will combine perfumers, evaluators, scientific experts, development teams and technical staff under one roof, with the goal of facilitating collaboration across creative and technical disciplines.
The investment also reconnects Mane’s future with its origins. The company traces its history in the region to Victor Mane, who more than 150 years ago transformed locally cultivated flowers and plants into perfumery raw materials. Today, that local foundation sits within a global business with 54 R&D centers and 31 manufacturing sites across 41 countries.
In other words, the Grasse region is serving both ends of the equation: the agricultural and natural-material heritage that helped establish its fragrance identity, and the sophisticated creative and technical infrastructure required to develop fragrances for global markets.
Mane launched an experimental garden at the historic La Rose St Jean site in Grasse in partnership with perfume plant grower Sébastien Rodriguez. Mane
The garden becomes an R&D platform
Agriculture itself is also becoming a more active part of fragrance R&D.
Earlier this year, Mane launched an experimental garden at the historic La Rose St Jean site in Grasse in partnership with perfume plant grower Sébastien Rodriguez. The project focuses on preserving regional perfume crops such as rose, jasmine and tuberose while investigating new fragrance materials and agricultural approaches.
The garden will function as a living research laboratory, where Mane scientists and agronomists can study plant genetics, aromatic molecule development and the effects of soil and climate on fragrance quality. The site will also be used to evaluate new perfume plant hybrids developed with scientific institutions.
Sustainability is another component. Mane plans to trial regenerative agricultural practices focused on soil health, biodiversity and crop resilience, while also testing extraction approaches including its redesigned enfleurage process and a mobile laboratory capable of extracting aromatic compounds directly from freshly harvested plants.
This makes the garden more than a preservation project. It connects cultivation, agricultural research, extraction and fragrance development.
By integrating agronomy, extraction and fragrance development in one continuous loop, IFF/LMR perfumers and scientists can test plant varieties, refine cultivation methods, and evaluate bio-based inputs under real-world conditions.IFF/LMR
Putting naturals in the field
IFF’s LMR Naturals operation is taking a similar approach.
In May, LMR Naturals by IFF inaugurated Domaine des Naturels LMR, a 1.8-hectare experimental field in Grasse. The site is designed as an R&D platform where natural ingredients can be studied from cultivation through extraction and fragrance development.
The field brings agronomy, extraction and perfumery into a continuous development loop. Plant varieties and cultivation methods can be tested under real-world conditions, while perfumers and scientists can evaluate the resulting materials.
The project also has a conservation dimension. Jasmine, rose, iris and tuberose are being cultivated alongside olive trees using terraced farming, organic practices and biodiversity-support systems. IFF also plans to use the site for education through a future LMR Naturals Academy for customers, partners and perfumers.
The initiative demonstrates how the definition of a fragrance R&D facility is expanding. Instead of keeping agriculture, extraction and formulation in separate stages, companies are increasingly bringing those disciplines into closer proximity.
From raw material to refined olfactive profile
IFF’s broader LMR activity further illustrates the region’s role in developing more sophisticated natural ingredients.
At SIMPPAR 2026, IFF introduced four additions to its LMR Hearts collection: Lavandin Heart France, Armoise Heart Morocco, Ylang Heart Madagascar and Geranium Heart Egypt. The ingredients were developed through sourcing partnerships, sustainable agricultural programs and molecular distillation and fractionation at LMR’s Grasse facility.
Each material is designed around a more focused olfactive profile. Lavandin Heart France emphasizes coumarin for a more gourmand effect; Armoise Heart Morocco offers increased thujone for fresher diffusion; Ylang Heart Madagascar provides a creamy, solar profile; and Geranium Heart Egypt emphasizes fruity lychee nuances without traditional minty facets.
The developments illustrate another characteristic of contemporary Grasse: natural materials are not simply being preserved in their traditional forms. They are being studied, fractionated, extracted and refined to give perfumers more precise creative tools.
A hub built around the full fragrance ecosystem
Taken together, these developments point to a broader shift in what makes Grasse strategically important.
The region offers something difficult to replicate through a single laboratory or manufacturing site: a concentration of fragrance history, specialized talent, botanical knowledge, growers, natural raw materials, extraction expertise, perfumers and R&D infrastructure.
The modern fragrance industry is increasingly concerned with questions that begin well before a perfumer puts a material on a blotter: Where did the plant come from? How was it cultivated? Can the supply be traced? How might climate affect its quality? Can extraction make better use of the crop? Can a natural material be refined to offer a more specific olfactive effect? And how can the resulting knowledge be passed to the next generation of fragrance professionals?
Grasse is becoming a place where many of those questions can be addressed within the same ecosystem.
