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Which industries developed in Marseille besides soap making?

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View of the old port of Marseille, France, with numerous boats docked in the harbor and the city's terracotta-roofed buildings rising up a hill, topped by the Notre-Dame de la Garde basilica. — Marseille Seaside view of the Old Port of Marseille, France.

Beyond soap making, Marseille has a diverse industrial history and present. Historically, the city developed several key sectors, including food processing, shipbuilding and ship repair, metallurgy, clothing manufacture, chemicals, and precision engineering.12

In the mid-20th century, heavy industry expanded significantly around the Berre Lagoon and the Fos port-industrial complex, focusing on oil refining, petrochemicals, and steelworks.2

More recently, the city has shifted toward modern service and high-tech activities. New industrial and service sectors established within Marseille include:

Electronics
Data processing
Telecommunications
Biomedicine
Offshore exploration and engineering2

While some traditional industries have declined or relocated to the city's periphery, these newer sectors—supported by infrastructure like the Château-Gombert science park—have become vital to the local economy.2