MDPI INSIGHTS: The CEO’s Letter #38 - 2 Million Published Articles, Outstanding Reviewers, Michele Parrinello Award, AIS 2026 & WSF-12

Opening Thoughts

MDPI Reaches 2 million Published Articles

This month, MDPI reached an important milestone: the publication of our two-millionth article.

It is a number that would have been difficult to imagine in 1996, when MDPI’s first journal, Molecules, published its first volume of 74 papers. It took 25 years to reach our first million published articles in December 2022, and less than four years to reach the second million in August 2026.

From 74 Papers to Two Million Articles

The milestone also comes during our 30th anniversary year, providing another opportunity to reflect on how both MDPI and Open Access publishing have developed over the past three decades. Today, more than half of the world’s published research is Open Access, while MDPI has grown into a portfolio of journals supported by more than 70,000 Editorial Board Members. In 2025 alone, articles published in MDPI journals received 1.9 billion views and downloads.

While two million is an impressive number, what matters most is what sits behind it. Every article represents research conducted and shared by authors, editorial decisions made by academic editors, expertise contributed by reviewers, and the work of colleagues across MDPI supporting the publication and dissemination of research.

Many of the stories in this month’s CEO Letter reflect these communities. We recognize the contributions of the more than 209,000 reviewers who supported MDPI journals in 2025, celebrate scientific excellence through the inaugural Michele Parrinello Award, and look at how communities continue to develop through AIS 2026 and the 12th World Sustainability Forum.

“In 2025 alone, articles published in MDPI journals received 1.9 billion views and downloads”

Publishing at Scale, with Purpose

Reaching two million articles is an important milestone in MDPI’s history, but it is also a reminder of the responsibility that comes with publishing at this scale. As we look ahead, our focus remains on quality, research integrity, strong editorial standards, and providing researchers with reliable and efficient ways to share their work openly with the world.

Thank you to our authors, editors, reviewers, institutional partners, and colleagues around the world who have contributed to this journey.

Impactful Research

Recognizing Scientific Excellence: The Michele Parrinello Award

Supporting researchers means more than publishing and disseminating scientific work. It also means recognizing the researchers, editors, reviewers, and scholars whose contributions advance their fields.

I’m pleased to highlight the inaugural Michele Parrinello Award, which has been awarded to Prof. Ursula Röthlisberger of the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland. Prof. Röthlisberger was recognized for her contributions to computational chemistry and molecular simulation, particularly her pioneering work in ab initio molecular dynamics and quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical (QM/MM) multiscale simulation methods.

Prof. Röthlisberger leads the Laboratory of Computational Chemistry and Biochemistry at EPFL, developing computational approaches to understand complex chemical, biological, and materials systems at the atomic level. Her work also extends to next-generation photovoltaic materials, demonstrating the interdisciplinary reach of computational science.

The Michele Parrinello Award was established in 2025 to honor Prof. Michele Parrinello's pioneering contributions to atomistic simulation and computational science. Presented biennially, it recognizes senior researchers who have made significant contributions across physics, chemistry, and materials science. The recipient receives a EUR 50,000 prize, commemorative medal, and certificate.

Awarding Scientific Excellence

The selection was overseen by an international Award Committee, chaired by Prof. Dr. Xin-Gao Gong of Fudan University and a group of researchers from institutions in China, Italy, the UK, and the USA. Nominations were evaluated based on rigor, integrity, and academic excellence. In announcing the winner, Prof. Gong highlighted the impact of Prof. Röthlisberger’s research across multiple scientific disciplines, alongside her contributions to education and leadership within the international research community.

Recognizing Contributions Across the Research Community

The Michele Parrinello Award is part of MDPI’s broader commitment to recognizing excellence across different disciplines, contributions, and career stages.

Our journal awards include:

Best Paper Awards – recognizing outstanding published research
Young Investigator Awards – supporting exceptional early-career researchers
Best PhD Thesis Awards – recognizing promising emerging scholars
Outstanding Reviewer Awards – acknowledging the essential contribution of peer reviewers
Travel Awards – helping early-career researchers participate in international conferences
Editor of Distinction Awards – recognizing exceptional contributions from Editorial Board Members.

Alongside these journal awards, MDPI supports flagship initiatives including the Tu Youyou Award, the World Sustainability Award, the Emerging Sustainability Leader Award, and now the Michele Parrinello Award.

Learn More:

Inside MDPI

Recognizing the People Behind Peer Review: MDPI’s 2025 Outstanding Reviewer Awards

Behind every published article is a network of people contributing their expertise to the scholarly record. Among them, reviewers play an essential role, providing independent assessment, feedback, and subject expertise that help editors make informed decisions and authors build on their research.

In 2025, more than 209,000 individuals contributed their expertise as reviewers for MDPI journals. This represents an enormous contribution of time and knowledge from researchers around the world, occurring often alongside their own research, teaching, and professional responsibilities.

I’m pleased to share the recipients of MDPI’s 2025 Outstanding Reviewer Awards, recognizing reviewers who have shown great dedication, expertise, and responsiveness throughout the peer-review process.

Outstanding Reviewers

As at July 2026, 181 MDPI journals have presented Outstanding Reviewer Awards to 412 recipients, highlighting their work across disciplines ranging from biology, chemistry, engineering, and medicine to environmental sciences, public health, and the social sciences. To learn more about the list of outstanding reviewers, please visit the following pages:

While these awards highlight a select group of outstanding contributors, they also create an opportunity to acknowledge our entire reviewer community. Peer review depends on researchers sharing their knowledge and experience with others. Their feedback can improve manuscripts, support editors in making informed decisions, and contribute to maintaining the quality and integrity of the scientific record.

“Reviewers play an essential role, providing independent assessment, feedback, and subject expertise”

Supporting the Academic Community

The Outstanding Reviewer Awards are part of MDPI’s awards program, through which our journals recognize contributions across the academic community, including those from researchers, early-career scholars, reviewers, and Editorial Board Members.

Bringing these contributions to the forefront is important because much of the work that supports scholarly publishing happens behind the scenes. The time, expertise, and critical feedback provided by reviewers are essential to a rigorous and constructive peer-review process.

As MDPI celebrates its 30th anniversary, I would like to thank the more than 209,000 reviewers who contributed to our journals in 2025 and to congratulate the 412 Outstanding Reviewer Award recipients recognized for going above and beyond in supporting their respective research communities.

Coming Together for Science

AIS 2026: Growing a Community Around AI and Sensor Research

One of the most rewarding aspects of our conference program is seeing scientific communities develop over time. A conference may begin by bringing together researchers around an emerging field, but with each edition it can create new relationships, collaborations, and opportunities for researchers to reconnect and exchange ideas.

The 3rd International Conference on AI Sensors and Transducers (AIS 2026) is a good example of this growth.

“What stands out is the community developing around AIS”

This year’s conference took place from 2 to 7 August in Jeju, South Korea, welcoming over 560 participants – an increase of 225 attendees compared with 2025 and 160 compared with the inaugural conference of 2024. Across the program, participants contributed 373 presentations and 109 poster displays, including four plenary presentations, 52 keynote speeches, 192 invited talks, and 125 oral presentations.

Building an International Research Community

Beyond the numbers, what stands out is the community developing around AIS. Many researchers have now participated in all three editions of the conference, with delegates already expressing their intention to return for AIS 2027. The program also brought together established researchers from across the field for discussions on AI sensors and emerging sensing technologies.

Building Engagement in South Korea

This year’s conference reflects our continued engagement with the research community in South Korea. AIS 2026 welcomed 150 participants from the Korean academic community and strengthened our cooperation with the Korean Sensors Society.

This is an important part of what our conferences can achieve. By bringing researchers together in person, we create opportunities to present the latest research and build relationships between scholars, institutions, societies, and at MDPI that can continue after an event concludes.

Looking Ahead

With this momentum, AIS 2027 is planned for 29 July to 3 August 2027 in Kunming, Yunnan, China, with the participation of an international group of Conference Chairs already confirmed from institutions in Europe, North America, and Asia-Pacific.

Three editions into AIS, the continued growth of this conference shows what is possible when we invest consistently in scientific communities. The objective is not simply to organize larger conferences each year but to create spaces where researchers return, new collaborations develop, and scientific communities become stronger.

Many thanks to the Conference Chairs, speakers, sponsors, supporting organizations, participants, and all MDPI colleagues who contributed to AIS 2026. Growing an international event takes years of relationship-building and considerable work behind the scenes, and this year’s conference reflects that collective effort.

Closing Thoughts

World Sustainability Forum 12: Coming Together for a More Sustainable Future

Sustainability challenges rarely sit within a single discipline, institution, or country. Addressing them requires researchers, policymakers, industry, and communities to exchange ideas and work across traditional boundaries.

This is one of the ideas behind the World Sustainability Forum (WSF), which has now reached its 12th edition.

From 21 to 24 August, the 12th World Sustainability Forum (WSF-12) took place in Hong Kong, bringing together more than 300 experts, scholars, policymakers, and industry representatives from over 100 universities and research institutions across 53 countries and regions. The Forum received 543 abstract submissions, showcasing international interest in sustainability research.

Connecting Research, Policy, and Industry

Across four days, the scientific program featured 230 onsite presentations, including plenary, keynote, invited and oral presentations, together with 53 poster presentations. The program also included a plenary panel discussion, Connecting Sustainability Solutions Across Sectors, presenting perspectives from academia, government, and industry.

This interdisciplinary exchange is particularly important in sustainability research. Challenges relating to our cities, environment, energy systems, economies, and societies are increasingly interconnected, and progress depends on creating opportunities for different disciplines and sectors to learn from one another.

WSF-12 also generated opportunities for industry participation. As a Strategic Partner, the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) E-Light International Communication Brand contributed to industry engagement throughout the Forum.

MDPI Sustainability Foundation Awards

Another highlight of WSF-12 was the presentation of three MDPI Sustainability Foundation Awards, celebrating the 2025 and 2026 winners of the World Sustainability Award and the 2026 winner of the Emerging Sustainability Leader Award.

Recognizing researchers and emerging leaders in their fields is an important part of supporting scientific communities. These awards are an opportunity to celebrate individual achievements and highlight research that contributes to a more sustainable future.

Looking Ahead to WSF-13

After twelve editions, WSF is a great example of how a scientific community can develop over time. This is also what we hope to achieve through MDPI’s broader conference program. Scientific meetings should be more than individual events: by investing consistently in research communities, we can create spaces where people return, new relationships develop, different perspectives meet, and collaboration continues beyond the conference itself.

The next chapter is already taking shape. The 13th World Sustainability Forum(WSF-13) will take place from 8 to 11 June 2027 in Nice, France. Chaired by Prof. Dr. Adel Ben Youssef and organized by MDPI and the journal Sustainability in collaboration with Université Côte d’Azur, WSF-13 will continue the Forum’s interdisciplinary approach across the natural sciences, engineering, and social sciences.

Thank You

Many thanks to the Conference Chairs, speakers, strategic partners, sponsors, supporting organizations, participants, and all MDPI colleagues who contributed to WSF-12. Events of this scale require considerable coordination and collaboration behind the scenes, and the continued growth of WSF reflects the collective efforts of the MDPI Conference Department and a global community committed to sustainability research, innovation, and collaboration.