MDPI, with the support of the MDPI Serbia team, hosted the first-ever MDPI Summit in Germany, an academic gathering in the heart of Berlin. The event brought together more than 20 Editors-in-Chief, Section Editors-in-Chief, Associate Editors and Editorial Board Members from across the country, creating a vibrant space for insightful discussions, knowledge sharing, and meaningful networking. This milestone underscores MDPI’s ongoing commitment to fostering a strong and connected scientific community.

The Germany Summit featured presentations on MDPI’s core values, its operations in Germany and worldwide, importance of partnerships, and its forward-looking vision for open access publishing. Highlights included thought-provoking discussions on the ethical use of AI in publishing, transparency in editorial workflows, indexing in publishing and MDPI’s continued commitment to supporting research integrity and scholarly excellence. An interactive session further encouraged open dialogue on peer review practices, editorial processes, and the evolving role of editors in the rapidly changing publishing landscape.

We were honored to welcome experts from MDPI’s global leadership team, including Mr. Peter Roth (Head of Publishing), Dr. Constanze Schelhorn (Head of Indexing), Dr. Frank Sauerburger (AI Technical Lead) and Ms. Ana Stanković (Research Integrity Specialist). We were also delighted to be joined by Prof. Dr. Thomas J. Schmidt, Editor-in-Chief of Molecules, who shared inspiring insights from his nine years of experience as Editorial Board Member and Editor-in-Chief, and Prof. Dr. Michael Wink, Editor-in-Chief of Diversity, who reflected on his extensive editorial journey. Their contributions enriched the discussions and deepened our collective understanding of MDPI’s vision for the future of open access.

The event concluded with the final session of the program, “Open Access, Open Dialogue”, followed by closing remarks from Dr. Constanze Schelhorn.

Looking Ahead

We extend our heartfelt thanks to all the editors, speakers, and participants whose insights and engagement made the MDPI Germany Summit such a meaningful success. Building on the energy and ideas shared in Berlin, we look forward to continuing this journey, bringing together researchers, editors, and leaders from around the world. Through future Summits and Salons, we remain committed to advancing open access, strengthening editorial excellence, and fostering an inclusive and connected global scientific community.