Announcements
31 July 2025
MDPI INSIGHTS: The CEO's Letter #25 - 8,000 Staff Worldwide, Korea Visit, 100,000 Preprints, Malaysia Roundtable, Canada Consortium Deal
Welcome to the MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter.
In these monthly letters, I will showcase two key aspects of our work at MDPI: our commitment to empowering researchers and our determination to facilitating open scientific exchange.
Opening Thoughts
Talent Drives Our Progress
For the first time in MDPI’s history, we now have over 8,000 colleagues across the company. I would like to take a moment to celebrate this milestone and acknowledge the driving force behind our growth and success: our people.
As the world’s leading fully open access publisher, MDPI has grown thanks to the dedication, talent, and teamwork of colleagues across the company. Already halfway through 2025, we’ve welcomed nearly 2,000 new colleagues.
“Our achievements are also about the people behind them”
We now manage over 475 journals, with 298 receiving an Impact Factor, and hundreds more indexed in major databases, including 343 in Scopus, and 92 by PubMed. As the reach and impact of our journals continues to grow, so does the need for dedicated and qualified teams to support that growth. Thus, attracting and retaining exceptional talent remains a cornerstone of our success.
Our achievements are not just about the results of journal expansion, however: they’re about the people behind them. From our hardworking editors to our meticulous English editing and production teams – from our journal relationship specialists, public relations, marketing and communications professionals to our conference teams and the project teams behind Preprints, Scilit, SciProfiles, JAMS and more. Our success reflects the work of thousands of people showing up each day, taking pride in their work, and committed to excellence and service.
What we’re doing to support talent:
- Investing in onboarding and training to help new colleagues feel welcomed and empowered to thrive.
- Creating clearer career paths across all functions, from editorial to communications and beyond.
- Launching mentorship programs and internal knowledge-sharing sessions to promote growth and collaboration.
- Evolving our recognition and rewards programs to better celebrate your contributions.
- Expanding our training systems and platforms.
MDPI’s in-house training department offers over 215 training courses, covering topics from editorial development to cross-cultural collaboration. In 2024 alone, we had 44 full-time trainers and 196 part-time training assistants supporting the learning and development needs of colleagues worldwide. These efforts ensure our teams are equipped with the skills and confidence to grow professionally and contribute meaningfully.
Over two-thirds of our workforce is editorial, and of our more than 5,400 editors, 87% hold a Master’s degree and 6% a PhD. Their collective contributions are central to delivering a high-quality publishing experience and supporting global academic communication.
As we celebrate this milestone, we also aim to continue on a path of steady and sustainable growth, one that balances journal expansion with investment in people, outreach, processes, and innovation. Together, we are shaping the future of open access and academic publishing. Thank you for your hard work, your ideas, and your commitment to serving the global research community.
Let’s continue working together to create a culture where great talent grows and every colleague feels valued.
Impactful Research
Visiting South Korea: Building Connections and Supporting the MDPI Seoul Office
In July, I had the opportunity to visit our team in Seoul and engage directly with academic communities in South Korea. The visit focused on deepening MDPI’s relationships with local universities, institutions, and partners, and supporting the great work of our colleagues at the MDPI Seoul office.
Korea Association of Private University Libraries (KAPUL) Conference
A highlight of the visit was our participation in the Korea Association of Private University Libraries (KAPUL) Conference, where we presented to over 100 academic librarians. I delivered a keynote speech titled “The Evolving Publishing Landscape: Open Access and Beyond,” while my colleague Dr. Jisuk Kang (Public Affairs Specialist) shared insights in her presentation, “Inside MDPI: Editorial Practices & Research Integrity.”
Our participation received media coverage, including:
NEWS1: “Publishing Open Access Papers' MDPI...Supporting the Expansion of Korean Research Influence”
UNN (University News Network): “MDPI Announces ‘Seoul Declaration’... “Presenting Standards for Authenticity and Transparency in Korea”
Beyond Post: MDPI CEO Visits Korea to 'Support for the Development of Domestic Knowledge Ecosystem'
Facts & Figures: South Korea
- South Korea is MDPI’s sixth-largest publishing country by article volume (over 90,000 MDPI papers published to date).
- In 2024, Korea ranked 16th globally by total publications, and 6th (among these top 20 countries) by citation impact.
- 52% of Korean publications in 2024 were OA – and 73% of those were Gold OA.
- MDPI published about 20% of all OA papers from Korea in 2024.
- Over 2,000 active Editorial Board Members from South Korea contribute to MDPI journals, with 11 Section Editors-in-Chief.
- We currently have 11 Institutional Open Access Program agreements and two society partnerships in Korea:
- Korean Society of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology (with MDPI journal Pharmaceutics)
- Korean Tribology Society (with MDPI journal Coatings)
MDPI Seoul Office and the First Korea Salon
Our Seoul office serves as a regional hub for marketing, communications, and community engagement. It continues to grow in size and influence, prioritizing supporting scholar visits, conference sponsorships, and outreach events such as the recent MDPI Korea Salon.
The inaugural Salon, themed “Exploring Research Trends in Medical Publishing, Ethics, and AI,” brought together over 20 scholars and Editorial Board members serving MDPI journals.
Thank you to our guest speakers including Professors Young-Joon Surh of Seoul National University, Kwang-Sig Lee of Korea University, and Jin-Won Noh of Yonsei University who presented on the landscape of medicine in South Korea and across the globe. The Salon also included presentations from MDPI colleagues on Open Access, ethics, and how the IOAP can support researchers in this field.
“Our Seoul office continues to grow in size and influence”
Looking Ahead
MDPI is already the leading OA publisher in South Korea, yet challenges and misconceptions around OA and APCs remain. Visits like this one, along with the ongoing efforts of our Seoul office, are important to building understanding, trust, and long-term relationships with the local academic community.
A big thank-you to our colleagues in Seoul for their warm hospitality, professionalism, and energy! Our new office is well situated, staffed, and ready to grow. This visit marked an important step forward in our continued mission to support global research communities and advance Open Science.
Inside MDPI
Preprints.org Reaches 100,000 Preprints: A Major Milestone for MDPI and Open Science
In case you missed it, Preprints.org recently surpassed 100,000 preprints posted. This is a major milestone for our platform and one worth celebrating.
Preprints are a key pillar of the Open Science movement, which promotes transparency, equity, and faster knowledge-sharing through initiatives such as Open Access, Open Data, Open Source, and Open Peer Review. The benefits of Open Science extend beyond researchers, as they support funders, educators, policymakers, and the public in advancing discovery and innovation.
What is behind the 100,000 preprints milestone?
Since its launch in 2016, Preprints.org has grown into one of the world’s leading preprint platforms, now ranked fifth globally by publication volume.
More than 350,000 researchers have contributed, helping shape this dynamic and collaborative space for sharing early-stage research across all disciplines.
Read the full announcement here:
https://www.mdpi.com/about/announcements/12202
“Preprints.org has grown into one of the world’s leading preprint platforms”
Some quick facts worth noting:
- About 56% of the preprints on Preprints.org are later published in peer-reviewed journals.
- The platform is now indexed in Web of Science (Preprint Citation Index), Europe PMC, and Crossref, helping improve visibility and trust in the preprints shared.
- Recent upgrades – including a revamped website, new features such as search subscriptions, curated reading lists, and community feedback tools (PREreview) – show our commitment to developing Preprints.org in line with researchers’ needs.
This growth and progress would not be possible without the dedication of the Preprints.org team, our Advisory Board members, screeners, and colleagues across MDPI who support the platform’s development. This milestone is a reminder of our shared mission: to accelerate scientific communication and build a more open, transparent, and inclusive research ecosystem.
I’m excited to see what’s ahead as we approach Preprints.org’s 10-year anniversary in 2026!
Coming Together for Science
Malaysia Media Roundtable: Educating on Open Access and MDPI’s Presence in Southeast Asia
At the end of June, I had the opportunity to participate in a strategic media roundtable in Kuala Lumpur, focused on raising awareness about the importance of Open Access (OA) and on MDPI’s growing presence in Southeast Asia.
We welcomed five Malaysian media outlets for an engaging private session that included presentations and open discussion.
I gave an overview of the benefits of Open Access, MDPI’s global developments, and our collaborations in Malaysia.
My colleague Yu Nwe Soe (Public Relations Specialist), presented on our editorial process, helping to clarify how MDPI supports authors and maintains research quality.
We were also joined by two local Editorial Board Members (EBMs) who offered first-hand insights into their experiences working with MDPI and how OA has shaped their publishing choices.
The discussion covered a range of questions from the press, from OA publishing models to editorial standards, and highlighted MDPI’s unique contribution to accelerating scientific communication in the region.
As the leading fully OA publisher, we see it as our responsibility to continue educating research communities and the broader public on the impact of OA, especially in emerging and high-growth academic markets.
Spotlight on Malaysia
Malaysia continues to rise as a regional research hub, with five universities ranked in the global top 200 and 11 subjects in the global top 50. In 2024, Malaysia ranked 2nd in Southeast Asia in total publication output, 10th in Asia, and 25th globally.
MDPI’s presence in Malaysia:
- Over 21,000 research articles published to date from Malaysian institutions
- More than 1,100 articles published in 2024 alone
- In the period 2020–2024, 54% of Malaysia’s total publications were OA
- 36 EBMs from Malaysia, across 27 MDPI journals
- Around 100 conferences sponsored in Malaysia in the past five years
- MDPI is hosting the 2nd International Conference on AI Sensors and Transducers in Kuala Lumpur (29 July- 3 August 2025)
Media Coverage & Editorial Voices
Following the roundtable, we saw positive coverage across several local outlets, with articles highlighting MDPI’s role in empowering Malaysian researchers. Notable pieces included:
- Open-Access Empowers Malaysia’s Research Future
- Empowering Malaysian Researchers to Meet the Nation’s Innovation Ambitions
- MDPI and empowering Malaysian researchers
Our local EBMs also shared their perspectives:
Prof. Denny Ng Kok Sum (Sunway University, EBM of MDPI journal Processes) and Prof. Lee (EBM of MDPI journal Bacteria) share their experiences with MDPI and the role Open Access plays in their publication decisions.
“We see it as our responsibility to continue educating research communities on the impact of OA”
“I didn’t want my work stuck behind a paywall.”
— Prof. Denny Ng Kok Sum, Sunway University, Processes Editorial Board Member
“Open Access opens doors for collaboration and visibility, especially in fast-developing regions like ours.”
— Prof. Lee, Bacteria Editorial Board Member
This roundtable marked another step in building trust, understanding, and collaboration in Southeast Asia. A big thank-you to the MDPI Malaysia team and all those who contributed to the event’s success.
Closing Thoughts
MDPI Signs First North American Agreement with Canadian Consortium
We are proud to announce a major milestone for MDPI Canada and an important step forward for OA in North America.
In July, our Toronto office finalized MDPI’s first North American consortium agreement with the Federal Science Libraries Network (FSLN). This is a significant achievement that strengthens our expansion in Canada and reinforces our global commitment to supporting Open Science.
This two-year agreement gives Canadian federal agencies access to MDPI’s IOAP, including discounted article processing charges for affiliated researchers across our portfolio of over 475 OA journals. It lowers barriers for Canadian scientists to share their work more openly and reach a global audience.
Ryan Siu, Institutional Partnerships Manager at MDPI.
“The Open Science landscape in Canada is rapidly evolving, with the Tri-Agency Open Access Policy set for renewal by the end of 2025. This reflects ongoing efforts to foster greater scientific transparency and accessibility at a national policy level,” says Ryan Siu, Institutional Partnerships Manager at MDPI.
“Our new agreement with FSLN represents our shared commitment to further these efforts and foster wider readership. By aligning with these initiatives, we make progress towards research that’s both inclusive and impactful, benefiting local and global communities alike.”
Participating FSLN institutions include:
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
- Environment and Climate Change Canada
- Health Canada
- National Research Council Canada
- Natural Resources Canada
By partnering with some of Canada’s largest science-based agencies, we reaffirm our goal of advancing OA across continents. We look forward to developing our support for Canadian researchers and continuing to drive progress in Open Science across North America and beyond.
Chief Executive Officer
MDPI AG
30 July 2025
Meet Us at the 18th Academic Symposium of the Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology Branch of the Chinese Association of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, 19–22 August 2025, Chengdu, China
18 July 2025
MDPI’s Journal Cluster of Food, Nutrition, and Health Science
Food and nutrition play a critical role in preventing noncommunicable diseases such as diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease and maintaining overall health. Throughout all stages of life, but especially during key developmental stages, nutrition can have a lasting impact. For example, children that have access to a nutritious diet, within the first 2 years of life, have improved cognitive development and are less likely to become overweight later in life. Access to not only enough nutritious food, but also safe food is just as important globally. Unsafe food can contain parasites, viruses, or toxic chemical substances that can have sever health consequences.
MDPI’s cluster of food, nutrition, and health science journals aims to publish high-impact research that will address global health problems related to diet, nutrition, food availability, quality, and safety. These journals provide a dynamic platform for groundbreaking discoveries that will shape the future of global healthy and sustainable nutrition.
The six participating journals are as follows:
- Beverages (ISSN: 2306-5710) focuses on advancing the science and technology of beverages, with special emphasis on fermented and non-fermented drinks, functional beverages, sensory analysis, consumer behavior, novel processing technologies, bioactive compounds, and sustainability in beverage production, while also encompassing nutritional aspects, flavor chemistry, packaging innovations, and health-related effects of beverage consumption. Beverages is led by Editor-in-Chief Prof. Dr. Edgar Chambers IV (Center for Sensory Analysis and Consumer Behavior, Kansas State University, USA);
- Dietetics (ISSN: 2674-0311) focuses on human dietetics, with special emphasis on diet and human health; dietetic practice and strategy; dietary intervention, assessment, and methodology; dietary behavior; dietetic education; personalized nutrition; community and public health nutrition; nutrition and food science; foodservice systems; dietary supplement; diet quality; eating disorder; foods and beverages; food choice; and food insecurity. Dietetics is led by Editor-in-Chief Prof. Dr. Bahram H. Arjmandi (Department of Health, Nutrition, and Food Sciences, College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences, Florida State University, USA);
- Foods (ISSN: 2304-8158) focuses on food research, with special emphasis on food sciences and technology, food chemistry and physical properties, food engineering and production, food microbiology and safety, food security and sustainability, food toxicology, sensory and food quality, food analysis, functional foods, food and health, food psychology, and food and environment. Foods is led by Editor-in-Chief Prof. Dr. Arun K. Bhunia (Department of Food Science, Purdue University, USA);
- Nutraceuticals (ISSN: 1661-3821) focuses on the discovery, development, and production of nutraceuticals, with special emphasis on traditional or natural nutraceuticals, nutritional supplements, dietary supplements and functional foods. Nutraceuticals is led by Editor-in-Chief Prof. Dr. Luisa Tesoriere (Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Palermo, Italy);
- Nutrients (ISSN: 2072-6643) focuses on human nutrition research, with publications covering areas such as macronutrients and micronutrients, bioactive nutrients, exercise nutrition, public health, and diet related diseases. It will consider manuscripts for publication that provide novel insights into the impacts of nutrition on human health or novel methods for assessing nutritional status. This includes manuscripts describing the outcomes of animal studies that have relevance to human health. Nutrients are led by Editor-in-Chief Prof. Dr. Maria Luz Fernandez (Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Connecticut, USA) and Prof. Dr. Lluis Serra-Majem (Research Institute of Biomedical and Health Sciences (IUIBS), University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain);
- Obesities (ISSN: 2673-4168) focuses on studies of obesity in the areas of nutrition, diabetes, bariatric surgery, public health, pediatrics, basic science, exercise, eating disorders, psychology, genetics, biochemistry, physiology, molecular, metabolic, epidemiological aspects of obesity, and related disorders. Articles based on novel ideas are widely invited for cellular- and animal-level studies, as well as human trials and epidemiological studies. Obesities is led by Editor-in-Chief Prof. Dr. Nobuyuki Takahashi (Laboratory of Physiology and Metabolism, Department of Food Safety and Nutritional Science, Faculty of Applied Bioscience, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Japan).
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Journals |
Launch Year |
Impact Factor (2024) |
CiteScore (2024) |
Time to First Decision (Median) |
APC (CHF) |
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2015 |
2.7 |
4.6 |
24.1 days |
1600 |
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2022 |
/ |
/ |
26.5 days |
1000 |
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2012 |
5.1 |
8.7 |
14.9 days |
2900 |
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2021 |
/ |
/ |
32.7 days |
1000 |
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2009 |
5.0 |
9.1 |
12.9 days |
2900 |
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2021 |
1.3 |
1.8 |
13.4 days |
1200 |
MDPI’s mission and values:
As a pioneer in academic open access publishing, MDPI has been serving the scientific community since 1996. Our aim is to foster scientific exchange in all forms and across all disciplines. MDPI's guidelines for disseminating open science are based on the following values and guiding principles:
- Open Access—All our content is published in open access format and distributed under a Creative Commons License, providing free access to the latest research and allowing articles to be freely shared and content to be re-used with proper attribution;
- Timeliness and Efficiency—We rapidly publish novel research through a thorough editorial process, ensuring that a first decision is provided to authors in under 32 days and that papers are published within 7–10 days upon acceptance;
- Simplicity—We offer user-friendly tools and services on our integrated system to enhance the efficiency of our editorial process;
- High-Quality Service—We support scholars and their work by providing a range of options, such as publication in journals at mdpi.com, early publication at preprints.org, and the publication of conferences at sciforum.net, to positively impact research;
- Flexibility—We adapt and develop new tools and services to meet the changing needs of the research community, driven by feedback from authors, editors, and readers;
- Rooted in Sustainability—We ensure the long-term preservation of published papers and support the future of science through partnerships, sponsorships, and awards.
By adhering to these values and principles, MDPI remains committed to advancing scientific knowledge and promoting open-science practices.
Selected Topics and Special Issues:
- “Dietary Carbohydrate Chemistry, Nutrition, and Utilization”;
- “Personalized and Sustainable Nutrition for Children and Adolescents: An Important Step for the 2030 Agenda”;
- “Ways to Achieve Healthy and Sustainable Diets”;
- “The Link Between Dietary Patterns and Health Outcomes”;
- “Nutraceuticals and Medicine Foods: Processing Technologies, Metabolic Mechanisms, and Human Health”
Guest Editors: Prof. Dr. Arun K. Bhunia, Prof. Dr. Antonello Santini, Dr. Junhe Yu, Dr. Salar Hafez Ghoran, Dr. Fatemeh Taktaz and Dr. Ahmad Ud Din
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2025
Selected Articles:
Beverages
“Beer with Probiotics: Benefits and Challenges of Their Incorporation”
by Diana Santos, Luisa Barreiros, Ângelo Jesus, Ana Luísa Silva, João Paulo Martins, Ana Isabel Oliveira and Cláudia Pinho
Beverages 2024, 10(4), 109; https://doi.org/10.3390/beverages10040109
Dietetics
“Dietary Supplements and the Gut–Brain Axis: A Focus on Lemon, Glycerin, and Their Combinations”
by Tai L. Guo, Jarissa Navarro, Maria Isabel Luna and Hannah Shibo Xu
Dietetics 2024, 3(4), 463-482; https://doi.org/10.3390/dietetics3040034
Foods
“Plant-Based Fermented Beverages: Nutritional Composition, Sensory Properties, and Health Benefits”
by Belén Hidalgo-Fuentes, Edgar de Jesús-José, Anselmo de J. Cabrera-Hidalgo, Ofelia Sandoval-Castilla, Teodoro Espinosa-Solares, Ricardo. M. González-Reza, María L. Zambrano-Zaragoza, Andrea M. Liceaga and José E. Aguilar-Toalá
Foods 2024, 13(6), 844; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13060844
Nutraceuticals
“The Effect of Oral GABA on the Nervous System: Potential for Therapeutic Intervention”
by Shahad Almutairi, Amaya Sivadas and Andrea Kwakowsky
Nutraceuticals 2024, 4(2), 241-259; https://doi.org/10.3390/nutraceuticals4020015
Nutrients
“Personalized Nutrition: Tailoring Dietary Recommendations through Genetic Insights”
by Saiful Singar, Ravinder Nagpal, Bahram H. Arjmandi and Neda S. Akhavan
Nutrients 2024, 16(16), 2673; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16162673
Obesities
“Gut Microbiota and Obesity: The Chicken or the Egg?”
by Daniele S. Tassoni, Rodrigo C. O. Macedo, Felipe M. Delpino and Heitor O. Santos
Obesities 2023, 3(4), 296-321; https://doi.org/10.3390/obesities3040024
9 July 2025
Meet Us at the 23rd International Congress of Nutrition of IUNS, 24–29 August 2025, Paris, France
4 July 2025
MDPI’s Newly Launched Journals in June 2025
Six new journals covering a range of subjects launched their inaugural issues in June 2025. We are excited to be able to share with you the newest research rooted in the value of open access. We are pleased to present the latest research and to make it accessible to all.
We extend our sincere thanks to all the Editorial Board Members for their commitment and expertise. Each journal is dedicated to upholding strong editorial standards through a thorough peer review process, ensuring impactful open access scholarship.
Please feel free to browse and discover more about the new journals below.
| Journal | Founding Editor-in-Chief | Journal Topics (Selected) |
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Prof. Dr. Chang-Pu Sun, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Beijing, China; Computational Science Research Center, China Editorial | View inaugural issue |
quantum information and phenomena; condensed matter physics and statistical physics; atomic, molecular, and optical physics; computational physics and mathematical methods View journal scope | Submit an article |
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Prof. Dr. Hualiang Lin, Sun Yat-sen University, China; Prof. Dr. Jose L. Domingo, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Spain Editorial | View inaugural issue |
green and organic food; green infrastructures; green exercise; environmental impact of the healthcare sector; effects of climate change on human health | View journal scope | Submit an article |
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Prof. Dr. Francesco Veglio, University of L’Aquila, Italy Editorial | View inaugural issue |
ultra-pure substances; water purification; air purification; gas purification; inorganic chemical purification; purification technologies View journal scope | Submit an article |
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Prof. Dr. Junxing Zheng, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China Editorial | View inaugural issue |
computer-aided design and engineering; artificial intelligence and machine learning; building information modeling (BIM) and digital twins; robotics and automation in construction; smart sensors and Internet of Things (IoT); intelligent control systems and facilities management View journal scope | Submit an article |
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Prof. Dr. Assunta Di Vaio, University of Naples Parthenope, Italy Editorial | View inaugural issue |
sustainability, managerial, and biodiversity accounting; carbon management accounting; corporate social responsibility; artificial intelligence and disclosure View journal scope | Submit an article |
 |
Prof. Dr. Changjun Liu, Sichuan University, China Editorial | View inaugural issue |
bioeffects of electromagnetic waves; electromagnetic science and engineering; microwave, millimeter-wave, and terahertz technologies; metamaterials and metasurfaces; communication, sensing, and networks; energy, power, and sustainable applications; quantum and emerging technologies; artificial intelligence and advanced fabrication View journal scope | Submit an article |
2 July 2025
MDPI INSIGHTS: The CEO's Letter #24 - 2024 Impact Factor & CiteScore, MDPI Summits France & USA, Tu Youyou Award
Welcome to the MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter.
In these monthly letters, I will showcase two key aspects of our work at MDPI: our commitment to empowering researchers and our determination to facilitating open scientific exchange.
Opening Thoughts
MDPI’s 2024 Impact Factor Highlights
For those of our readers who are new to academic publishing, you may have heard some news in June around the Impact Factor release. Every year, typically in June, Clarivate releases its annual Journal Citation Reports (JCR), which include Journal Impact Factors (JIF). This metric is widely used in academic publishing to reflect the average number of citations received by recent articles in each journal.
While Impact Factor is just one of many indicators of journal influence, it remains a major milestone for authors, editors, and publishers. It’s used to assess journal visibility, researcher recognition, and scholarly reach. Throughout our international meetings and events, it’s clear that the Impact Factor is something many of our authors and editorial board members care about, as it can influence where they choose to submit an article and the funding they receive for their research.
“These results reflect the trust that the scholarly community places in MDPI”
MDPI’s 2024 Impact Factor Highlights
- 298 MDPI journals received a Journal Impact Factor.
- 60 journals earned their first-ever Impact Factor
- To put this in perspective: MDPI’s 60 new journal acceptances into the Web of Science was the second highest number of any publisher in 2024, behind Elsevier and ahead of Springer Nature. Our 87% acceptance rate for journals submitted to Web of Science shows the strength of our editorial process and our proven ability to develop journals aligned with Clarivate’s 24 evaluation criteria.
- Notably, Textiles, Mathematics, International Journal of Neonatal Screening, Smart Cities, Systems, and Pharmaceutics ranked in the top 10% in their respective categories, highlighting their growing influence and prestige within their academic fields. This shows that high-quality indexing goes beyond visibility; it upholds credibility and trust.
- 193 MDPI journals are now ranked in the top 50% (Q1/Q2) of their subject categories.
- What does this mean, and why is it important? Journals are ranked by quartiles within their field, based on their Impact Factor. Q1 represents the top 25% of journals in their category, Q2 the next 25%, and so on. Being in Q1 or Q2 shows that a journal is performing well relative to other journals in its category. Authors and institutions often look at quartile rankings when choosing where to publish – it’s an important indicator of visibility and recognition, within its respective category.
- 116 of our previously ranked journals increased their Impact Factor.
- 14 MDPI journals achieved an Impact Factor of 5.0 or higher, suggesting a high degree of influence and visibility.
These results reflect our staff's hard work: from our editorial and production teams to our indexing, communications, and data teams, and beyond. This also reflects the trust that the scholarly community places in MDPI, reinforcing the message that when researchers publish with MDPI, they publish with impact.
Open Access with Impact
As the leading fully open access publisher, our journals have received a total of 18.4 million citations in the Web of Science by the end of 2024, reflecting the growing reach and engagement of research published with MDPI. We are committed to making scientific research freely accessible to everyone, everywhere. With the support of more than 4.2 million contributing authors, we’re proud to support the global shift toward open access.
Further Reading
If you’d like to better understand how journals get indexed and why Impact Factors matter, please read this recent interview with Dr. Constanze Schelhorn (Head of Indexing). It gives you a behind-the-scenes look at the role our indexing team plays in supporting journal indexing and visibility.
You can also read our official news announcement shared last week: MDPI Journals in the 2024 Journal Citation Reports.
Thank you to everyone, from our authors and reviewers to our editors and internal teams, who contributed to the progress of our journal indexing in 2024. We’re continuing to build journals that are recognized and trusted across disciplines.
Impactful Research
MDPI Journals See Continued Growth in 2024 CiteScore Results
Continuing our indexing updates, I’m pleased to share that MDPI has achieved strong results in the latest CiteScore metrics, released on 5 June by Scopus. These results reflect the collective efforts of our editors, reviewers, authors, and internal teams, with their dedication to quality and visibility in scientific publishing. You can read the full announcement here.
2024 Highlights:
- 322 MDPI journals received a CiteScore (up from 274 last year).
- 283 journals (88%) are ranked in Q1 or Q2 of their subject categories.
- 237 journals (85%) saw an increase in their CiteScore compared to last year.
- 48 journals received a CiteScore for the first time.
- 39 journals are now placed in the top 10% of their subject areas.
“This growth highlights our commitment to supporting open, trusted science”
What is CiteScore and how is it measured?
CiteScore metrics are developed by Elsevier as an alternative to the Impact Factor. They measure the citation impact of journals and can be accessed freely on Scopus. The metric represents the yearly average number of citations to recent articles published in a journal. If you’re interested in learning more about citation metrics and how we use them, check out this blog post.
Why is this important?
These results show the growing recognition for, and impact of, MDPI journals across disciplines. CiteScore rankings help researchers, institutions, and funders assess where high-quality work is being published. This growth improves our journals’ positioning in the publishing landscape and highlights our commitment to supporting open, trusted science.
Inside MDPI
Highlights from the MDPI USA Summit in Boston (5–6 June)
With several Summits already behind us, I think this is a good time to reflect on the purpose of these Summits.
Why do we organize MDPI Summits?
These one-and-a-half-day, invite-only gatherings are designed to improve our relationships with Chief Editors who lead our journals and are respected voices in their fields. The Summits aim to:
- Share MDPI’s values, achievements, editorial practices, and local market collaborations.
- Collect feedback on MDPI operations and journal practices.
- Empower Chief Editors to confidently represent MDPI beyond the Summit.
While Chief Editors know their journals well, these events help them better understand MDPI. We want them to be ambassadors for our brand. The aim is for them to walk away informed, engaged, and equipped to share positively about MDPI.
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About the Boston Summit
Held on 5–6 June, our first USA Summit gathered over 25 Chief Editors to learn more about MDPI’s activities and collaborations in the USA. The program included presentations, Q&A, and a panel discussion.
Agenda Highlights:
Moderated by Summer Huggard (Operations Manager [Toronto], MDPI), the program featured:
- MDPI Overview and USA Collaboration – Stefan Tochev (CEO, MDPI)
- AI in Publishing and MDPI's Actions – Feichi Lu (Junior Data Scientist, MDPI)
- MDPI Editorial Process and Research Integrity – Dr. Giulia Stefenelli (Scientific Communications Lead, MDPI)
- Panel Discussion – Stefan, Feichi, Giulia, Claudia
- Society Partnerships – Dr. Clàudia Aunós (Society Partnerships Senior Manager, MDPI)
- Voice of the Customer and Closing Remarks – Stefan Tochev (CEO, MDPI)
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MDPI & the USA: Facts and Figures
- With over 216,000 publications, the USA is MDPI’s second-largest contributor after China.
- In 2024, the USA ranked 2nd in total submissions and 2nd in total MDPI publications, with more than 28,200 publications.
- As of 2020, the cumulative number of authors from the USA until April 2025 was 352,099.
- As at April 2025, there are more than 12,035 active Editorial Board Members (EBMs) from the USA, with 55% having an H-index over 26.
- Among them, 96 serve as Editors-in-Chief (EiC) and 218 as section-Editors-in-Chief (SEiC)
- MDPI has more than 920 Institutional Open Access Program agreements worldwide, with over 130 from the USA.
A special thanks to our Toronto team, and everyone who worked behind the scenes to make this event run smoothly.
Coming Together for Science
Highlights from the MDPI France Summit in Paris (12–13 June)
We completed our first MDPI France Summit in Paris last week, and it was a special event. Attendees were engaged from beginning to end, remaining after hours to network and collaborate.
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Why a France Summit?
We chose to host a France Summit in view of the recent challenges MDPI has faced with the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS). What we took away from the event is that our authors and editors very much appreciate and enjoy working with us, but we need to address the concerns raised by CNRS, around Article Processing Charges (APCs) and the funding of gold open access publications.
“Our authors and editors very much enjoy working with us”
Some of the claims made in the June 2023 interview with Alain Schuhl, the Deputy CEO for Science at the CNRS, are simply not factual. For example, they state that MDPI’s “average APC charges per article are now around the same as Springer Nature’s.” Here is the relevant passage, reproduced verbatim:
This is not accurate.
A recent preprint analysing APC data from Elsevier, Springer Nature, Wiley, PLOS, MDPI, and Frontiers (2019–2023) shows that MDPI’s average APCs remain significantly lower than those of Springer Nature and several other major publishers.
The MDPI Summits are part of our outreach and communication efforts to address misconceptions and clarify MDPI’s position as one of the most accessible and affordable major gold open access publishers in the world.
Summit Overview
Held on 12–13 June, the France Summit gathered over 20 Chief Editors to learn more about MDPI’s activities and collaborations in France. Many of these editors are influential in their institutions and professional societies. Several also have connections to CNRS, which makes this an important opportunity to clarify how we operate and build trust through open and transparent communication and hopefully turn our editors into informed advocates of MDPI.
Summit Feedback
The feedback has been very positive, with most attendees completing the post-event survey and all rating the experience as Excellent or Good. A few highlights:
- “The whole thing was highly professional and, above all, provided quantified details that will allow us to better answer questions surrounding MDPI.”
- “The summit was an opportunity to meet personally various people directly engaged in the organization and policies of MDPI, which made it possible to clarify some important points concerning publishing with MDPI.”
- “Very well organized! A great opportunity to see all French MDPI partners and editors.”
Program Highlights:
Moderated by Miruna Adelina Nicolcioiu (Senior Conference Producer), the program featured:
- MDPI Overview and France Collaboration – Stefan Tochev (CEO)
- MDPI Editorial Process and Peer-Review Quality – Dr. Marta Colomer (Public Affairs Specialist)
- Institutional Partnerships and Open Access Funding Models – Becky Castellon (Institutional Partnerships Manager)
- AI in Publishing and MDPI's Actions – Daniele Raimondi (Data Scientist)
- Publication Ethics: Global Trends – Diana Cristina Apodaritei (Research Integrity Specialist)
- Closing Remarks – Stefan Tochev
- Panel Discussion – Diana, Becky, Prof. Dr. Patrick Da Cost, and Stefan
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MDPI & France: Facts and Figures
- With over 51,000 publications, France is MDPI's tenth-largest contributor, and fifth largest among EU countries after Italy, Spain, Germany, and Poland.
- As of 2020, the cumulative number of authors from France until April 2025 was 87,592.
- As at April 2025, there are more than 2,800 active Editorial Board Members (EBMs) from France, with 59% having an H-index over 26.
- Among them, 22 serve as Editors-in-Chief (EiC) and 61 as section-Editors-in-Chief (SEiC)
- In 2024, IJMS, JCM, and Molecules were the top three MDPI journals in terms of submissions from French-affiliated authors.
Special thanks to our colleagues from Romanian offices for organizing this successful event.
Closing Thoughts
Richard DiMarchi and Rolf Müller Share the 2024 Tu Youyou Award
As we wrap up this month’s newsletter, I’d like to take a moment to recognize the winners of the 2024 Tu Youyou Award, presented by our journal Molecules. I am pleased to share that the 2024 Tu Youyou Award has been conferred upon Richard DiMarchi and Rolf Müller, in recognition of their significant contributions to natural products chemistry and medicinal chemistry.
I invite you to read the editorial co-authored by the Tu Youyou Award Committee, which highlights the significance of the award and the remarkable impact of the recipients’ research.
A sincere thank-you to the 2024 Award Committee for their dedication and selection process, and congratulations once again to this year’s honourees. Your work exemplifies the kind of research MDPI is proud to support and amplify.
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About the Tu Youyou Award For further information about the award and the winners, please visit the Tu Youyou Award website. |
Chief Executive Officer
MDPI AG
1 July 2025
Foods Webinar | Innovative and Smart Encapsulation Strategies for High-Value Compounds in Food and Nutraceuticals, 24 July 2025
As we continue to advance the fields of food science and nutraceutical technology, the importance of encapsulation—whether at the micro- or nanoscale—has never been more critical. In this webinar, we will explore how cutting-edge microencapsulation and nanoencapsulation techniques can enhance the controlled release, stability, and bioavailability of functional ingredients, contributing to the development of next-generation functional supplements and enriched food products.
A special focus is also on by-product valorization, a strategy that not only supports sustainability in food processing but also opens new avenues for utilizing bioactive compounds that would otherwise go to waste. Understanding and engineering microstructures for targeted delivery and improved efficacy lies at the heart of this endeavor.
Date: 24 July 2025 at 4:00 p.m. CEST | 10:00 a.m. EDT
Webinar ID: 858 4109 7193
Website: https://sciforum.net/event/Foods-5
Register now for free!
Program
| Speaker/Presentation | Time in CEST | Time in EDT |
| Dr. Berta Nogueiro Estevinho Chair Introduction |
4:00–4:10 p.m. | 10:00–10:10 a.m. |
| Dr. Berta Nogueiro Estevinho Microencapsulation in Food: Small Structures with Big Benefits and Smart Solutions |
4:10–4:30 p.m. | 10:10–10:30 a.m. |
| Dr. Maria-Filomena Barreiro Unlocking the Full Potential of Natural Ingredients in Food Applications |
4:30–4:50 p.m. | 10:30–10:50 a.m. |
| Dr. Francisca Rodrigues Actinidia Arguta Extracts As Natural Agents To Combat Oral Mucositis Symptoms |
4:50–5:10 p.m. | 10:50–11:10 a.m. |
| Q&A Session | 5:10–5:25 p.m. | 11:10–11:35 a.m. |
| Dr. Berta Nogueiro Estevinho Closing of Webinar |
5:25–5:30 p.m. | 11:35–11:30 a.m. |
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information on how to join the webinar. Registrations with academic institutional email addresses will be prioritized.
Unable to attend? Register anyway, and we will let you know when the recording is available to watch.
Webinar Chair and Keynote Speakers:
- Dr. Berta Nogueiro Estevinho, 1 LEPABE, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal; 2 ALiCE—Associate Laboratory in Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal;
- Dr. Maria-Filomena Barreiro, CIMO, LA SusTEC, Bragança Polytechnic University, Campus de Santa Apolónia, Bragança, Portugal;
- Dr. Francisca Rodrigues, REQUIMTE/LAQV, Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto, Instituto Politécnico do Porto, Porto, Portugal.
Relevant Special Issue:
“Encapsulation Processes: Improvement and Innovation of Bio-Micro/Nanostructures with High-Value Compounds in Food”
Guest Editor: Dr. Berta Nogueiro Estevinho
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2025
26 June 2025
Meet Us at the 3rd European Symposium on Phytochemicals in Medicine and Food (3-EuSPMF), 1–4 July 2025, Belgrade, Serbia
23 June 2025
Foods Receives an Updated Impact Factor of 5.1
20 June 2025
Young Women in Engineering Award—Open for Nominations
