Announcements
5 February 2025
MDPI INSIGHTS: The CEO's Letter #20 - Beijing, Singapore, Bangkok, JAMS, Jisc
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
2024 Annual Meeting – Beijing (15 January 2025)
You haven’t truly experienced a New Year’s celebration until you’ve attended one of MDPI’s Chinese Annual Meeting festivities. This year I visited our annual meeting in Beijing, held on the 15th of January.
Imagine this: stepping into a banquet hall filled with 140 tables and about 1,400 colleagues from our Beijing offices, all gathered to share in a six-hour event. The agenda included year-end speeches and presentations, a variety of performances by our colleagues, a selection of awards honouring local employees for their work, group photos for the memories, and a dinner.
This may have been one of the largest events I have attended. For those unaccustomed to such an event, it might seem overwhelming, but it was quite the opposite. The atmosphere was one of celebration as everyone came together to support their peers and celebrate the achievements of 2024.
I was honoured to deliver the opening speech and a presentation highlighting our growth and investment in MDPI’s most valuable asset: our people.
“Our editorial teams represent MDPI at its finest”
I want to give special recognition to the editorial department, across all of our offices, which forms the heart of our business. These teams are the frontline communicators with our authors, reviewers, and guest editors, creating a smooth experience of processing our manuscripts. Their professionalism and kindness are often highlighted as key drivers of satisfaction with MDPI. For this, I extend my deepest gratitude to all our editorial staff, across every office. They truly represent MDPI at its finest.
Beijing is home to two of our offices, with just over 800 employees in Tongzhou and over 600 in Haidian. Thank you to our administrative teams and everyone involved in organizing these New Year’s celebrations across all offices. These events provide a moment to reflect on our shared accomplishments and appreciate the positive impact each of you has on our culture.
MDPI Offices in China
While the history of MDPI begins in Basel, Switzerland, the story of MDPI is very much rooted in China. Below is a list of MDPI’s current offices in China and their respective dates of inauguration:
- 2008: Beijing (Tongzhou, Haidian)
- 2013: Wuhan (Hankou, Guanggu)
- 2019: Tianjin
- 2021: Dalian
- 2021: Nanjing
To date, over 381,000 MDPI research articles have been published by authors affiliated with Chinese institutions, making China our largest market. This is reflected not only in the volume of publications but also in the scale of our workforce supporting local operations and contributing to global success.
While no new offices in China were launched between 2022 and 2024 due to the pandemic and strategic planning, we remain committed to future growth here. Our plans include expanding operations as we continue to build our global workforce.
We look forward to a year filled with continued collaboration, growth, and shared success.
“We remain committed to future growth in China”
Impactful Research
MDPI and Jisc Consortium Extend Open Access Agreement for 2025
I’m pleased to share that MDPI has extended its agreement with the Jisc consortium in the UK for 2025. This renewal strengthens our partnership with UK institutions and reaffirms our shared commitment to advancing open access publishing.
Jisc is the UK’s not-for-profit digital, data, and technology agency supporting tertiary education, research, and innovation. Through initiatives such as our agreement, Jisc helps institutions access essential digital resources and infrastructure to support researchers. Currently, 62 UK institutions are part of our Institutional Open Access Program (IOAP) through this partnership.
Authors from participating institutions benefit from discounts on article processing charges (APCs), with even greater support for institutions that centrally fund APCs. This helps researchers focus on their work while simplifying the publishing process.
A full list of participating institutions can be found here.
As Becky Castellon, our Institutional Partnerships Manager, puts it: “Extending our agreement with Jisc is a reward for the strong partnership we’ve built with research institutions throughout the UK.”
At MDPI, we are dedicated to making research more accessible while reducing administrative burdens for institutions and authors. Open access publishing is at the heart of what we do, and we’re proud to expand its reach in the UK and beyond.
Inside MDPI
Visit to MDPI's Singapore office
During my January trip to some of our APAC offices, I also had the pleasure of visiting our Singapore office for the first time. It’s exciting to see how much the team has grown, now numbering over 55 staff members, with more joining us in February.
Welcoming and Supporting New Team Members
“Experienced staff play an important role in mentoring new hires”
I had the opportunity to connect with both experienced colleagues and new team members who are currently embarking on their careers. This visit reminded me of what it was like when I was in their shoes. I encourage all of us to engage new colleagues with empathy, as we have all been in their position. By creating a welcoming and supportive environment, we can help them settle in and learn about the corporate world, MDPI and our mission.
Experienced staff play an important role in mentoring and guiding new hires, most of whom are transitioning from academia to their first job. I’m especially grateful to colleagues such as Colin Chen, Alicia Ren, Yu Nwe Soe, Colin Wee, Amy Cham and other senior members who have contributed to shaping the culture and work environment in Singapore.
Building MDPI’s Positive Reputation
During my visit, I spoke with the office staff about the importance of their roles in building a positive reputation that helps create trust in MDPI. I shared how every interaction and communication point contributes to the marketing of MDPI and our journals. I also highlighted the career development opportunities available as MDPI continues to grow.
Connecting with the Singapore Marketing Team
I also spent time connecting directly with the Singapore Marketing team, which has quickly grown to 15 young and ambitious members. They are eager to learn and are actively contributing to our journal and corporate marketing activities. I shared insights into our corporate marketing structure and strategy and look forward to supporting them as they grow.
During the visit, I was joined by my colleague Dr. Constanze Schelhorn, Head of Indexing, who provided training on indexing. This training was greatly appreciated by the local staff.
Meeting with Prof. Dr. Manoj Gupta
Lastly, we had the privilege of meeting Prof. Dr. Manoj Gupta, Editor-in-Chief (EiC) of Technologies since 2016 and Section EiC of Metals.
Prof. Gupta is an active decision-maker for the journal and a great brand ambassador for MDPI.
Prof. Gupta has helped sustainably scale Technologies, which now has a 4.2 Impact Factor and a 6.7 CiteScore, ranking Q1 in the JCR category of Engineering and Q1 in the CiteScore category of Computer Science.
During our meeting, we discussed strategies for Institutional Open Access Partnership agreements and ways to promote MDPI journals in Singapore.
PS. During the visit, we also had the chance to participate in Lo Hei, also known as Yee Sang or the “prosperity toss.” This is a raw fish salad traditionally enjoyed during Chinese New Year and is particularly popular among Chinese communities in Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Everyone gathers around the table as the ingredients are added one by one, and then the salad is mixed together. It was a fun experience to take part in this New Year tradition!
Coming Together for Science
JAMS – Journal & Article Management System
I am excited to announce the official relaunch of JAMS (Journal & Article Management System), one of MDPI’s key initiatives to support academic publishers worldwide.
With this relaunch, JAMS now offers new pricing models and flexible solutions for small-scale journals, commercial publishers, and university presses. We have also redesigned the JAMS website to enhance the user experience.
“JAMS is a testament to our commitment to simplifying the publishing process”
Explore the new website here: jams.pub
It’s also great to see the JAMS team expanding our presence at conferences and on social media to engage more effectively with the academic community.
Recently, Facundo Santomé (Senior Marketing Manager) and Alex Ramos (Senior Marketing Specialist) represented JAMS at the APE 2025 conference in Berlin, highlighting how our platform empowers small and independent publishers to streamline and scale their journal management.
JAMS was built to change that by adapting to the unique requirements of each publisher.
At MDPI, we continually invest in our growth – not only by expanding our operations and staff but also by developing innovative products that serve the academic and publishing community at large. JAMS, with its comprehensive suite of journal management tools, is a testament to our commitment to simplifying the publishing process for our partners.
Imagine a submission system that frees up your time for strategy, innovation, and impactful publishing.
Under the leadership of Silvano Bonfatti (Product Manager, MDPI), the JAMS team has conducted in-depth market research to understand the challenges publishers face: endless administrative tasks, inefficient workflows, and systems that don’t always meet their needs.
If you believe JAMS could benefit any of your network contacts, please share our website. Contact the JAMS team. They are always ready to assist with your publishing needs.
What Sets JAMS Apart?
- Scalability – Whether you're a niche journal or managing thousands of submissions, JAMS grows with you.
- End-to-End Workflow – From submission to peer review and final publication, everything is in one place.
- Automation That Works for You – Say goodbye to chasing reviewers and formatting issues, so that you can focus on quality instead.
- Built by Publishers, for Publishers – JAMS is backed by MDPI’s expertise; we know exactly what it takes to run a journal smoothly.
- Flexible & Fair Pricing – Supporting journals of all sizes, with special rates for non-profits and publishers in the Global South.
Partners Who Already Trust JAMS
If you believe JAMS could benefit any of your network contacts, please share our website. Contact the JAMS team. They are always ready to assist with your publishing needs.
Closing Thoughts
Visit to MDPI's Bangkok office
To conclude my APAC trip, I had the pleasure of visiting our Bangkok office from 22 to 24 January. The office has grown significantly, closing 2024 with a total of 445 colleagues across various departments, including Editorial, Production, Conference, Training, Journal Relationship Specialists (JRS), Managing Editors, and supporting teams in HR, Admin, IT, and Finance.
I would like to praise our Bangkok management team for their excellent work in supporting our growth and creating a positive work environment. Our colleagues here are humble, talented, hardworking, and appreciative of MDPI’s mission.
Thailand was among MDPI’s top 30 markets in 2024 for total publications. With our office in Bangkok, we have an opportunity to further promote open access while supporting local researchers and institutions. This includes open access discounts, author training sessions, conference sponsorships, and other initiatives. We currently have 25 Editorial Board Members (EBMs) from Thailand and will work on expanding this network.
Engaging with Group Leads
“Group leads play an important role in creating a safe, positive environment”
During my visit, I met with our group leads to highlight their crucial role in managing journal performance and mentoring new employees, especially given our increased hiring targets. Many new hires are early in their careers and require training, development, and support. Group leads play an important role in creating a safe, positive environment that fosters professional growth while maintaining MDPI’s reputation for service quality.
To wrap up the session, I added a personal touch by holding the door and giving everyone high-fives – a small gesture to show appreciation, boost morale, and strengthen team spirit. It’s important for our colleagues to feel seen, heard, and valued.
University Visit: King Mongkut’s University of Technology North Bangkok (KMUTNB)
We also visited King Mongkut’s University of Technology North Bangkok (KMUTNB) to explore collaboration opportunities.
Our discussions focused on: Institutional Open Access Partnership (IOAP), Author training sessions, Conference sponsorships, Student employment initiatives, and more.
This visit reinforced the importance of building strong relationships with local universities, ensuring we continue to support and engage with the academic community in Thailand.
“My time in Bangkok was productive and inspiring”
My time in Bangkok was productive and inspiring. The senior team has done a great job in growing the office and creating a supportive, high-performing environment. I look forward to seeing continued success from our colleagues in Thailand.
Chief Executive Officer
MDPI AG
25 January 2025
Acknowledgment to the Reviewers of Foods in 2024
21 January 2025
MDPI’s Newly Launched Journals in December 2024
Nine new journals covering multiple subjects launched their inaugural issues in December 2024. We are excited to be able to share with you the newest research rooted in the value of open access.
We would like to express our deepest appreciation to all of the Editorial Board Members, and each journal will ensure its high-quality output by using excellent editorial and rigorous peer-review processes, to ensure that the articles achieve high impact and visibility.
Please feel free to browse and discover more about the new journals below.
| Journal | Founding Editor-in-Chief | Journal Topics (Selected) |
|
|
Prof. Dr. Zhaoyang Dong |
energy storage technologies; energy storage system management; energy storage applications; strategies in renewable energy generation grid integration; distributed storage systems; economics and markets for energy storage View journal scope | Submit an article |
 |
Prof. Dr. Yang-Hui He 1. London Institute for Mathematical Sciences, Royal Institution, UK 2. University of Oxford, UK Editorial | View inaugural issue |
Euclidean geometry; differential geometry; algebraic geometry; complex geometry; discrete geometry; computational geometry; geometric group theory; convex geometry View journal scope | Submit an article |
 |
Dr. Michel Planat Université de Franche-Comté, France Editorial | View inaugural issue |
differential topology; algebraic topology; manifold topology; homology theory; low-dimensional topology; fuzzy sets View journal scope | Submit an article |
 |
Prof. Dr. Rashid Al Abri 1. Sultan Qaboos University, Oman 2. Oman Medical Association, Oman Editorial | View inaugural issue |
clinical practices as well as research and innovation in medical education, risk management in healthcare, and patient safety View journal scope | Submit an article |
 |
Prof. Dr. Ecevit Bilgili* New Jersey Institute of Technology, USA *Prof. Dr. Ecevit Bilgili passed away before the completion of the inaugural issue. His dedication and vision for JPBI will always be remembered and serve as a guiding inspiration. Editorial | View inaugural issue |
early drug discovery and development; product characterization and pre-clinical testing; drug delivery systems and drug design; active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) production View journal scope | Submit an article |
 |
Dr. Weiyong Liu Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China Editorial | View inaugural issue |
theories, methodologies, technologies, and applications in the fields of laboratory medicine and clinical chemistry View journal scope | Submit an article |
 |
Prof. Dr. Manuel Pedro Rodríguez Bolívar University of Granada, Spain Editorial | View inaugural issue |
scientometrics; informetrics; bibliometrics; altmetrics; webometrics; research evaluation View journal scope | Submit an article |
 |
Prof. Dr. Fei Fan Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China Editorial | View inaugural issue |
regional growth theory and methods; regional system modeling and optimization; regional development policy; regional spatial evolution; environmental policy and instrument choice View journal scope | Submit an article |
 |
Dr. Kevin Cianfaglione Université Catholique de Lille, France Editorial | View inaugural issue |
wild species and their habitats; wild environments and biodiversity; natural environment management; wild land preservation View journal scope | Submit an article |
We wish to thank everyone who has supported the development of open access publishing. You are welcome to send an application here, or contact the New Journal Committee (newjournal-committee@mdpi.com) if you would like to create more new journals.
7 January 2025
MDPI INSIGHTS: The CEO's Letter #19 - Reflecting on 2024, Society Journals, OA Germany
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
Reflecting on 2024: Celebrating Our Progress and People
As we reflect on the year gone by, I’m proud and thankful for what we’ve accomplished together. This has been a year of growth, learning, and resilience, all of which have shaped MDPI’s journey. I would like to thank each of our employees for their dedication, hard work, and commitment to advancing open access (OA) publishing.
Our growth is evident: from about 5,900 colleagues at the end of 2023 to over 6,650 today, our global MDPI community continues to expand. We expanded our global operations with a new office in Seoul, South Korea, and celebrated a record-breaking year with 60 MDPI journals newly indexed in the Web of Science and 37 MDPI journals accepted into Scopus. As at 30 December, 2024, we publish 457 journals, of which 448 are peer-reviewed and 9 dedicated to academic conference outputs. Of these, 306 are indexed in Scopus, 298 in the Web of Science, and 90 in PubMed.
Looking for a new role in 2025? We have a variety of roles currently open!
Yet, growth never comes without its challenges. This year, we faced setbacks, including the removal of the Journal of Personalized Medicine from the Web of Science due to content relevance concerns. Our editorial and research integrity teams are actively addressing these issues, and we aim to reapply for indexation in December 2026. On another front, the decision by JUFO, The Finnish Publication Forum, to downgrade many MDPI journals presented a challenge. However, we are engaging with the Finnish research community and our editorial boards to provide scientific data supporting a reevaluation of MDPI journals in alignment with Finland’s national open access policies.
These examples remind us that challenges are part of our journey. What defines us is how we respond, by learning, adapting, and improving our practices and operations.
On the partnerships front, we achieved a landmark national open access agreement with over 100 German universities, effective 1 January 2025, bringing our total of Institutional Open Access Program (IOAP) partners to over 950. These achievements reflect not just our ambition but also the trust placed in MDPI by our collaborators worldwide.
Amidst growth and change, one constant remains: the people of MDPI. This year, I had the privilege of representing MDPI at important meetings and conferences from Beijing to Krakow, while visiting many of our offices, from Tokyo and Cluj to Manchester and Toronto. The highlight of my year has been meeting and connecting with so many of you.
“MDPI thrives because of community and collaboration”
When asked what makes MDPI a great place to work, my answer is simple: It’s the people. Our authors frequently praise the support and professionalism of our editorial staff. That same care extends inward, reflected in the friendships and collaborations we regularly nurture with our colleagues. MDPI thrives because of the community and collaboration that drives us forward.
As the African proverb states, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” I believe MDPI embodies both, being speedy in our daily operations and united in our purpose of promoting open access publishing.
Looking ahead to 2025, let us continue building a culture of care and support for one another, take pride in our work, and strive to improve all that we do. Thank you for making 2024 a special year, and I look forward to what we can achieve together in 2025.
PS: I look forward to sharing more about our people and the achievements of the past year in the 2024 Annual Report.
Impactful Research
685 MDPI Editors Named Highly Cited Researchers in 2024
I’m excited to celebrate the achievements of 685 Editorial Board Members (EBMs) from our journals, representing 39 countries and territories, who have been named Highly Cited Researchers for 2024 by Clarivate. This prestigious recognition highlights their scientific contributions, which transcend academic boundaries to drive progress in global knowledge, sustainability, security, and well-being.
Here, you’ll find the list of MDPI’s EBMs who have been recognized this year.
Clarivate’s annual Highly Cited Researcher™ list identifies the most influential scientists of the past decade – those whose work has made a profound and far-reaching impact across numerous scientific and social science disciplines. To be included on this list is no small feat. These researchers’ impactful papers rank among the top 1% by citations in one or more of the 21 fields analyzed within the “Essential Science Indicators,” positioning them as leaders in their domains.
As Clarivate notes, “Highly Cited Researchers have demonstrated significant and broad influence in their field(s) of research.” In 2024, a total of 6,886 Highly Cited Researcher designations were awarded to 6,636 individuals globally.
I extend my congratulations to all of MDPI’s EBMs who have achieved this milestone. Their dedication and excellence inspire us all and exemplify the high standards we uphold as a publisher. Congratulations to each of them for this incredible accomplishment and for their ongoing contributions to advancing knowledge in their fields.
Inside MDPI
How MDPI / Open Access Supports Societies
MDPI actively supports societies through the launch of new journals, the acquisition of established journals, and the transfer of society journals from other publishers. You can submit your proposal here.
Over the past 13 years, we have collaborated with over 190 learned societies and organizations. These partnerships range from affiliations with one or more of our journals to publishing journals on behalf of our partners.
Learn about how MDPI / Open Access Supports Societies.
In this section I highlight our Societies team, whose responsibilities include establishing new OA journals on behalf of societies and institutions, publishing an existing OA journal with MDPI or transitioning a subscription journal to an OA model, and establishing affiliations between societies and MDPI journals.
If you would like to learn more about these services, please see the Societies website.
The Societies team is led by Dr. Carla Aloè, Head of Societies and Acquisition, and her Deputy Manager, Dr. Clàudia Aunós. MDPI collaborates with a wide range of societies through various partnerships. For a complete list of collaborating societies and society journals, please visit the Societies website.
How long have you been at MDPI, and what was your first role?
I joined MDPI in September 2020 as an Associate Publisher and Scientific Officer, overseeing the Arts, Humanities, and Social Science journals. In July 2022, I took on the oversight of the Society and Acquisition team.
Do you think that perceptions of Open Access are generally accurate?
Far from it: there are in fact many misconceptions surrounding the way Open Access works and the benefits it has to offer. A common misconception is that OA journals are poor quality, which is entirely untrue. Many of our journals are included in major indexing databases, and all of them are endorsed by prominent associations and committees such as the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the International Association of Scientific, Technical, and Medical Publishers (STM), and the Open Access Scholarly Publication Association (OASPA). We uphold a rigorous peer-review process, adhere to strict ethical standards, and rely on high-profile editorial boards.
How long have you been at MDPI, and what was your first role?
I’ve been at MDPI for almost seven years now. I started as an Assistant Editor but was quickly promoted to work with societies.
What is the most common question you get asked about the services that the Societies team provides?
For societies with a standard number of members (less than 500), the most common inquiry is about how much the publishing services we offer cost. One of the great things about our publishing services is that they are free of any burden cost to the society, regardless of the type of non-profit organization.
For bigger non-profit organizations, it is more about what benefits they can get for their members and ensuring that their journals are in good hands.
Either way, the goal is the same: to listen to the demands of the market, be flexible, and help our partners achieve healthy and positive development of their journals.
Read more:
Coming Together for Science
2024 MDPI Conference Summary
Throughout 2024, the MDPI Conference Team connected with scientific communities by organizing nine in-person events and 26 virtual conferences. In order to support the need for our growing events, we expanded this team to a total of 37 people across all offices, including 18 members in Asia-Pacific and 20 in the EU and North America.
The nine large-scale in-person conferences organized brought together leading minds across diverse disciplines, including our conferences on Viruses, Molecules, Polymers, Materials, Non-Coding RNA, Pharmaceuticals, and Sensors. These events strengthened synergies with the scientific community, actively promoting our journals and the latest research published within their respective fields. These achievements highlight our Conference Team’s dedication to creating meaningful and memorable events in the academic field.
2024 Event Highlights
Viruses 2024, the 5th edition of the conference series, hosted influential keynote speeches from Nobel Prize laureate Dr. Charles M. Rice and ‘Distinguished Senior Virologist’ Prof. Luis Enjuanes. The event attracted 240 attendees from around the globe. With 47 talks and nearly 130 poster presentations, the conference explored the latest developments in viral pathogenesis and immune responses across six engaging sessions.
Molecules 2024, the fourth edition of this conference series, highlighted the impact of emerging drug modalities on drug discovery. The event brought together over 100 attendees from 22 countries and featured more than 80 submissions organized into six sessions. The program included talks by 12 invited speakers from Europe, Asia and the United States. An impressive 97% of attendees rated the conference as ‘Excellent’ or ‘Good.’
Polymers 2024, attracted over 300 attendees from 22 countries and featured 259 accepted abstracts. Focusing on green polymer chemistry and the use of bioresources, the conference highlighted advancements in the synthesis of biobased and biodegradable polymers. Engaging lectures by three keynote speakers and 12 invited speakers, coupled with dynamic discussions, led 94% of attendees to rate the conference as ‘Excellent’ or ‘Good.’
A high-profile summit in Toronto was organized by the team, which expanded our global reach and showcased our capacity to deliver impactful events in our different offices. Sixteen EiC and seven EBMs joined our event, and with a 100% rate of Excellent/Good, over 90% of them said they are likely to attend our next edition.
The 1st International Conference on AI Sensors & The 10th International Symposium on Sensor Science successfully gathered about 400 participants onsite. Three hundred and fifty-five abstracts were accepted, with 772 authors from 28 countries. Across the four-day program, there were 296 talks delivered and 66 posters displayed.
The 2nd Sustainable Publishing Forum was successfully held in Beijing, China, with around 120 attendees from local publishers, editorial staff from local university presses, librarians, etc. The event is focused on promoting open science, maintaining research integrity and fulfilling social responsibility.
ICM 2024, the 5th International Conference on Materials, brought together scientists, researchers and industry leaders to explore advancements in materials characterization, processing and manufacturing. Topics ranged from nanotechnology and biomaterials to energy materials and AI-driven research. With 62 attendees from 26 different countries, the program featured 34 talks and 18 posters, fostering collaboration and innovation over 2.5 days.
The second edition of ncRNA 2024 welcomed 104 attendees from 30 countries, 71% of them being women. Two keynote speakers, Prof. Ling-Ling Chen and Prof. Mauro Giacca, shared insights drawn from over 10 years of experience. Prof. Giacca's groundbreaking work promises advances in curative therapies for heart failure, while Prof. Chen’s team continues to lead the development of the ncRNA field. High participant engagement generated valuable topics for future editions, and 96% of attendees rated the conference as ‘Excellent’ or ‘Good’.
Pharmaceuticals 2024, with its eight sessions, covered the newest technologies and the research areas of medicinal chemistry, natural products, organic synthesis, radiopharmaceuticals, pharmacology, toxicology, and biomolecular and glycosciences, among others. The conference featured three plenary and eight invited speakers, comprising esteemed scholars from eight different countries of Europe, and welcomed 64 participants from 28 different countries. Ninety-one percent of the attendees rated the conference as ‘Excellent’ or ‘Good’, highlighting the outstanding organzation of the event.
In 2024, we organized 26 virtual events with an average submission number of 158 abstracts per event, and an average registration number of 491 per event. Compared with the last edition, we saw a 42.2% growth of accepted abstract submissions.
The year 2024 marked a change in the strategy of our conference team, prioritizing the improvement of the communication and collaboration within our European and Asia-Pacific teams and creating stronger teamwork to elevate the quality and impact of MDPI events.
Scheduled Events in 2025
- Smart Sustainable Cities 2025: Pioneering Novel Frontiers for Green Urban Living: 5–7 Mar 2025, online.
- International Conference on Advanced Remote Sensing (ICARS 2025): 26–28 Mar 2025, Barcelona, Spain.
- Plants 2025: From Seeds to Food Security: 31 Mar–2 Apr 2025, Barcelona, Spain.
- Symmetry 2025 - The 5th International Conference on Symmetry: 16–19 May 2025, Hangzhou, China.
- The 2nd International Conference on AI Sensors and Transducers: 29 Jul–3 Aug 2025, Bangkok, Thailand.
- The 5th International Symposium on Frontiers in Molecular Science: 26–29 Aug 2025, Kyoto, Japan.
- The 11th World Sustainability Forum: Sustainable and Resilient Cities: 2–3 Oct 2025, Barcelona, Spain.
- The Cancers 2025 and Sensors 2025 websites will soon be made public.
Closing Thoughts
Over 100 German Universities Partner with MDPI in New National Agreement
I am pleased to share some exciting end-of-year news: MDPI has reached a major milestone by signing a publishing agreement with over 100 German universities and research institutions! Negotiated by ZB MED - Informationszentrum Lebenswissenschaften, the agreement came into effect on 1 January 2025 and will run until the end of 2026.
This new cooperation aims to make scientific Gold Open Access publishing more affordable and less administratively burdensome for researchers in Germany.
Learn more, here.
“Thank you to everyone who contributed to making this agreement a reality.”
Why is this important?
Germany is a global leader in academic research and publishing, ranking fifth in total MDPI publication volume.
This agreement reflects our growing influence and leadership in open access publishing.
Partnering with more than 100 institutions highlights MDPI’s reputation as a trusted publishing partner for the academic community.
As Peter Roth, MDPI Head of Publishing, noted:
“MDPI can look back on over a decade of successful partnerships with German research institutions. This agreement marks another milestone in our collaboration with the German scientific community.”
Adrian Stefan Zamfir, Institutional Partnership Manager for the DACH region, added:
“We are delighted that this agreement will give even more researchers in Germany access to our tried-and-tested and reliable publication platform”
Thank you to everyone who contributed to making this agreement a reality. This milestone reinforces MDPI as a trusted leader in advancing open access and supporting researchers worldwide.
Chief Executive Officer
MDPI AG
26 December 2024
Editorial Board Members from Foods Featured in the 2024 Highly Cited Researchers List Published by Clarivate
17 December 2024
Over 100 German Universities Partner with MDPI in New National Agreement
More than 100 German universities and research institutions have entered into a national agreement with MDPI. The publication agreement negotiated by ZB MED comes into effect on 1 January 2025 and is valid until the end of 2026. Joining the consortium is still possible until the beginning of 2025. We are delighted by the high level of interest this agreement has already garnered, reflecting the strong demand for accessible and cost-effective open access publishing solutions among German research institutions.
This new cooperation aims to make scientific gold open access publishing more affordable and less administratively burdensome for researchers in Germany. The agreement includes substantial discounts on article processing charges (APCs) for corresponding authors from participating institutions. It offers flexible payment options, including centralized invoicing or individual payment of fees by researchers or their institutions. Additionally, the agreement features a flat-fee model that enables institutions to precisely plan expenses and optimize their library budgets.
"MDPI can look back on over a decade of successful partnerships with German research institutions," says Peter Roth, MDPI Head of Publishing. "The new agreement marks another milestone in the long-standing co-operation between MDPI and the German scientific community. It emphasizes our commitment to developing up-to-date and inventive solutions for the diverse needs of scientific institutions to promote open research for the benefit of researchers."
Petra Labriga, Head of Strategic License Management at ZB MED, highlighted the agreement's significance: "As one of the world's leading Gold OA publishers, MDPI plays a central role in the German publishing landscape. We are particularly pleased that we were able to achieve considerable potential cost savings for scientific institutions and their authors at a national level through our negotiations."
The partnership reflects a common goal of advancing the idea of open access and supporting researchers in making their scientific excellence internationally visible.
"We would like to thank the ZB MED consortium team for their excellent collaboration," added Adrian Stefan Zamfir, MDPI Institutional Partnership Manager for the DACH region. "We are delighted that this agreement will give even more researchers in Germany access to our tried-and-tested and reliable publication platform."
Franziska Fischer (right), Commercial Director at ZB MED, an Peter Roth (left), Head of Publishing at MDPI, celebrate the signing of the new national open access agreement between MDPI and the ZB MED Consortium.
More Information
Contact
- ZB MED: Team Konsortiallizenzen (konsortiallizenzen@zbmed.de) - Website
MDPI: Adrian Stefan Zamfir, Institutional Partnership Manager (zamfir@mdpi.com)
About ZB MED
ZB MED - Information Centre for Life Sciences is an infrastructure and research centre for life science information and data. Its aim is to support and strengthen research for people and the environment: from medicine to biodiversity and environmental protection.
The work of ZB MED is orientated towards the strategic guidelines:
- Research + Networking: We conduct research together with the regionally, nationally, European and globally networked research community.
- Data science: We enable data analyses and generate new knowledge through research.
- Access to information: We provide sustainable access to information, literature and data as a central information infrastructure.
- Open + FAIR: We promote open and reproducible science in line with open science and FAIR principles.
- Knowledge and skills transfer: We actively impart knowledge, competences and skills.
More information at www.zbmed.de.
About MDPI
Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, MDPI is one of the world's leading open access publishers with a current portfolio of more than 440 journals in all scientific disciplines. MDPI‘s goal is to advance open science worldwide through greater transparency, efficiency and collaboration. To date, more than 3.7 million researchers have published their results in MDPI journals. The editorial process is overseen by a large network of dedicated reviewers and editors and supported by more than 6500 MDPI employees. MDPI currently works with over 800 academic institutions and 180 scientific societies worldwide, which benefit from a wide range of MDPI services and products.
17 December 2024
Article Layout and Template Revised for Future Volumes
6 December 2024
MDPI INSIGHTS: The CEO's Letter #18 - MDPI UK, Basel Job Fair, CETEF'24
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 First UK Summit Held in Manchester
On 29 November, we hosted our first annual MDPI UK Summit, bringing together over 30 Chief Editors and Editorial Board Members (EBMs) to discuss MDPI’s mission, achievements, and collaborations in the UK.
Throughout the day we had talks from several members of MDPI, roundtable discussions on the peer-review process and upholding research integrity, and an engaging presentation from the Editor-in-Chief (EiC) of MDPI journal Mathematics, Francisco Chiclana, about his involvement with the Research Excellence Framework.
“This was a great first summit for MDPI UK and received excellent feedback”
In the following I highlight some of the sessions and the discussion topics covered in each session.
Session 1: Opening Speech and Introduction to MDPI
I shared an overview of MDPI’s mission, achievements, and commitment to quality. The Q&A touched on key topics such as perception and reputation management, expanding our arts and humanities portfolio, and funding challenges for open access (OA) in the UK.
A takeaway from this session was that in 2025, we will circulate a mini annual report to all editors, helping them understand MDPI’s mission and achievements beyond the context of their specific journals.
Session 2: MDPI and the Research Excellence Framework (REF)
Prof. Francisco Chiclana (EiC of Mathematics) highlighted MDPI’s role in REF, its purpose, and future directions.
Session 3: Editorial Process, Ethics, and Research Integrity
Dr. Giulia Stefenelli presented on the various editorial roles and responsibilities, quality metrics, and procedures for dealing with misconduct. The Q&A centred on AI in publishing, institutional roles in research integrity, and better data management practices.
Session 4: Institutional Open Access Program (IOAP)
Becky Castellon presented on IOAP benefits, including MDPI’s partnership with JISC, which includes more than 60 UK institutions, and highlighted the advantages of pure OA over transformative agreements.
Session 5: Round Table Discussion
Colleagues from our MDPI Manchester office Jaime Anderson and Dr. Michael O’Sullivan, along with colleagues from our Basel office Damaris Critchlow and Giulia Stefenelli, discussed innovations in peer review, challenges in maintaining scientific integrity, and future solutions.
Session 6: MDPI PR and the Voice of the Customer
I recapped our customer satisfaction drivers, including speed and editorial support. I also spoke about tackling misinformation about OA and MDPI in general, and outlined a way forward for us all to participate in advocating for open science.
This was a great first summit for MDPI UK and received excellent feedback from our EiCs, SEiCs, and EBMs. A BIG thank-you to our Manchester team (pictured below) and everyone else involved in organizing this event. Their hard work and dedication are much appreciated!
Impactful Research
MDPI and UK Publications
The UK is an important market for MDPI, ranking ninth in total submissions to MDPI and eighth in total MDPI publications, with over 72,200 publications to date. As at October 2024, there were more than 3,600 EBMs from the UK, 48% of whom have an H-index above 26. We also have 46 EiCs, and 63 SEiCs in the UK, some of whom joined us in Manchester for the UK Summit.
The UK is a strong advocate of OA publishing, with nearly three quarters of all articles in 2023 published on open access platforms. The country enjoys a large academic market, producing high-quality papers, and is home to some of the world’s top universities. Among MDPI’s 825 IOAP agreements, over 60 of these are in the UK, facilitated through our partnership with JISC.
“The UK is a strong advocate of OA publishing”
Visit to MDPI’s Manchester Office
Last week, I visited our Manchester office to see the expanding office space, connect with our staff, and present at the MDPI UK Summit held in Manchester.
Throughout the day, I met with various teams to better understand their work and discuss their future development plans in greater depth. Hearing from group leads about the progress we have made and the challenges we face offered many valuable insights. I also had the chance to connect personally with members of the content team. It’s great to see how this young and ambitious team is coming together.
I also took the opportunity to address the entire office about the role of MDPI UK within the wider company. During this session, I answered questions about growth and public relations initiatives. Giulia Stefenelli joined us to address questions about the role of AI in MDPI’s future.
Jaime Anderson (Office Manager) and the Manchester team have done a great job of growing the office since its establishment in 2019. Today, it has around 150 staff members across various departments, including English editing, editorial services, marketing and communications, and IOAP. The team is highly active in local marketing initiatives, such as author training sessions, scholar visits, and conferences.
For more information and updates on our Manchester office, follow MDPI UK on LinkedIn.
Inside MDPI
Basel Job Fair
In November, the HR team from our Basel office connected with over 300 young professionals at the Basel Job Fair 2024. This is my biased opinion, of course, but we had the best branded booth and merchandise, which drew a lot of attention from young talent wanting to learn about current and future job opportunities at MDPI.
Our HR team also helped review CVs on the spot, providing advice on how to improve them and making a positive impression on the future workforce in Basel.
This is a reminder that MDPI is not only focused on supporting young researchers but that we also recruit and develop young talent. We have seen MDPI HR do this really well throughout all of our offices, from Asia Pacific to Europe and North America.
HR plays an important role in our growing company, helping us meet our recruitment targets as well as providing support for local teams, guidance on management and best practices, a safe space for employees, and brand recognition for MDPI, among many other things.
“MDPI is not only focused on supporting young researchers: we also recruit and develop young talent”
This is a quick appreciation post to all HR staff working to support MDPI and our colleagues, cultivating talent and supporting careers at every stage. Thanks HR staff, keep up the great work!
Coming Together for Science
Pharmaceuticals 2024 – Recent Advances in Pharmaceutical Sciences Towards a Healthy Life (The 20th Anniversary)
I am pleased to share that the Pharmaceuticals 2024 – Recent Advances in Pharmaceutical Sciences Towards a Healthy Life took place from 27 to 29 November 2024 in Barcelona, Spain. It was chaired by Prof. Dr. Amelia Pilar Rauter from the Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal; Dr. Alfredo Berzal Herranz from Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina López-Neyra (IPBLN) CSIC, Spain; and Prof. Dr. Mary Jane Meegan from Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.
The conference took place in Casa Convalescència, a part of the Sant Pau Art Nouveau Site. The three-day event included three plenary sessions and eight invited speakers, from eight countries, and 29 selected talks. Of the presentations on site, there were 32 posters and 29 oral presentations.
The main goal of the ‘Pharmaceuticals 2024’ international conference was to cover the newest technologies and research areas including medicinal chemistry, natural products, organic synthesis, radiopharmaceuticals, pharmacology, toxicology, and biomolecular and glycosciences, in a meeting that brought together experts to present their latest findings on combatting infection, inflammation, pain, and neurodegeneration, to mention just a few of the topics that were discussed.
“The main goal of ‘Pharmaceuticals 2024’ was to cover the newest technologies and research areas”
20th Anniversary of Pharmaceuticals
The year 2024 marks the 20th anniversary of Pharmaceuticals – a journal dedicated to medicinal chemistry and related drug sciences, which is published monthly online by MDPI. To honour this milestone, we are reflecting on our past accomplishments and embarking on an exciting new chapter. This celebration is also one of the reasons why we organized the conference Pharmaceuticals 2024. With an Impact Factor of 4.3 and a CiteScore of 6.1, the journal is covered in Scopus, SCIE (Web of Science), PubMed, PMC, Embase, CAPlus/SciFinder, and other databases. Pharmaceuticals has published over 6,000 papers from more than 37,000 authors. More than 10,000 reviewers have reviewed for it at least once.
20th Anniversary of Pharmaceuticals: The Video
This video captures the experiences of the conference chairs, honorary guests and committee members of the conference.
Thank you to our partnering societies
A special thank-you is due to our partnering societies the Spanish Society Of Medicinal Chemistry (SEQT) and the Spanish Society For Biochemistry And Molecular Biology (SEBBM) for their support of the Pharmaceuticals 2024 conference. I am also pleased to report that we presented two awards, sponsored by the journal Pharmaceuticals, including the Best Presentation Award and the Best Oral Presentation Award, recognizing the contributions of our participants.
Closing Thoughts
Presenting at the 4th Central European Technology Forum
I visited Krakow, Poland in November to participate in the 4th Central European Technology Forum (CETEF’24), which took place on 18 and 19 November.
CETEF is an international conference that has been jointly organized since 2014 by the Polish Chamber of Commerce for Advanced Technologies (IZTECH) and the Polish Federation of Engineering Associations, with the support of the European Parliament and the European Commission, in cooperation with universities, research institutes and the high-tech industry. The 2024 event focused on presentation to advance the European science and technology agenda for 2025–2030.
MDPI participated as a key publishing sponsor. We had an exhibition booth and held two key presentations during the conference. On Monday, I presented MDPI’s vision, purpose, and achievements.
On Tuesday, Dr. Giulia Stefenelli shared how MDPI supports advancements in high technology and energy transition, highlighting our portfolio, services, tools and initiatives for promoting progress and interdisciplinary collaboration.
We received positive feedback from scientists and government representatives in attendance.
A big thank-you goes to our colleagues from the Krakow office for their support in organizing our participation and managing the MDPI booth.
Special thanks are owing to Weronika Gorka-Kumik, Igor Matic, Vincent Di, Agnieszka Rydz, Ksenia Shubenkova, Anna Krakowka and Klaudia Kasprowicz.
Below is a photo with the President of the Polish Chamber of Commerce conference (centre), along with MDPI colleagues Giulia Stefenelli, Weronika Gorka-Kumik, and Igor Matic (left to right).
“This year’s event focused on ideas and proposals to advance the European science and technology agenda for 2025–2030”
Chief Executive Officer
MDPI AG
4 December 2024
685 MDPI Editors Named Highly Cited Researchers in 2024
13 November 2024
Meet Us at the 4th Central European Technology Forum, 18–19 November 2024, Krakow, Poland
