Announcements

Opening Thoughts

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

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

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.

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.

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:

• Creating an Open Access Journal for your Society
• Meet the Team: Societies Leadership
• Meet the Team: Interview with Societies Specialists

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?

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.