They made Geneva the capital of perfume chemistry

Geneva is the cradle and capital of world’s perfume chemistry. Two companies made a decisive contribution to this: dsm-firmenich and Givaudan. In recognition of their important role in perfume chemistry, they have now been jointly awarded the Chemical Landmark of the Swiss Academy of Sciences (SCNAT). With this award, the SCNAT honours sites in Switzerland that have played a historically significant role in advancing the field of chemistry.

A legacy of perfumery icons

In 1895, chemist Philippe Chuit and entrepreneur Martin Naef set up their first perfume laboratory in Charles Firmenich's garage in Geneva. They founded a company to produce synthetic perfumes and flavours. In the same year, the brothers Léon and Xavier Givaudan opened a laboratory to produce fragrances in Zurich but moved to Vernier near Geneva in 1898.

Over the next few years, both companies pioneered the analysis, synthesis and production of fragrances with the help of findings and processes from the emerging field of organic chemistry. One key milestone was achieved by Leopold Ružička, who determined the structure of muscone, the main component of musk, a highly coveted element in the perfume industry. His work on terpenes, which included musk, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1939.

Today, dsm-firmenich and Givaudan are among the world's leading companies in the fragrance and flavour industry, whose fragrance innovations have shaped countless iconic perfumes.