Announcements
30 December 2024
Energies | Most Downloaded Papers in 2023 (III)
26 December 2024
Energies | Most Downloaded Papers in 2023 (II)
20 December 2024
Energies | Most Downloaded Papers in 2023 (I)
19 December 2024
Meet Us at the EGU General Assembly 2025, 27 April–2 May 2025, Vienna, Austria
MDPI will be attending the General Assembly 2025 of the European Geosciences Union (EGU), which will be held in Vienna, Austria, and online, from 27 April to 2 May 2025 at booth #2 in the Entrance Hall. The EGU General Assembly 2025 brings together geoscientists from all over the world to one meeting, covering all disciplines of Earth, planetary, and space science. The EGU aims to provide a forum where scientists, especially early career researchers, can present their work and discuss their ideas with experts in all fields of geoscience.
The following MDPI journals will be represented:
| ● Remote Sensing; | ● Water; | ● Geosciences; |
| ● Hydrology; | ● Aerobiology; | ● Applied Sciences; |
| ● Atmosphere; | ● Climate; | ● Coasts; |
| ● Earth; | ● Energies; | ● Environments; |
| ● Fire; | ● Forests; | ● Gases; |
| ● GeoHazards; | ● Geomatics; | ● Geotechnics; |
| ● Glacies; | ● ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information (IJGI); | ● Journal of Marine Science and Engineering (JMSE); |
| ● Land; | ● Limnological Review; | ● Meteorology; |
| ● Minerals; | ● Nitrogen; | ● Quaternary; |
| ● Resources; | ● Soil Systems; | ● Sustainability. |
If you are attending the conference, please visit our booth. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions that you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit the following website: https://www.egu25.eu/.
Session Recommendation
We invite you to follow the sessions organized by MDPI journal scholars:
1. Drivers affecting global carbon sink of terrestrial ecosystems
Convener: Pekka Kauppi | Co-convener: Sean Sloan
2. Observational strategies and sensing techniques for marginal, poorly covered and degraded urban areas
Convener: Francesco Soldovieri | Co-conveners: Maurizio Mazzoleni, Fabio Tosti, Andrea Scozzari
3. Non-Destructive Testing and Earth Observation Methods for Sustainability and Resilience of Infrastructure and Built Environments
Convener: Andrea Benedetto | Co-conveners: Imad Al-Qadi, Andreas Loizos, Francesco Soldovieri, Fabio Tosti
Booth Event: Award Ceremony
MDPI will hold two award ceremonies during the EGU. You are welcome to visit booth #2 at the entrance hall and congratulate the outstanding winners on us.
Remote Sensing Travel Award
Winner: Dr. Nicola Nocentini
Award Presenter: Prof. Dr. Fabio Tosti (Associate Editor of Remote Sensing)
Dr. Nicola Nocentini is a researcher specializing in the spatiotemporal prediction of rainfall-induced landslides using dynamic machine learning approaches. He currently conducts research at both the University of Padua and the University of Florence, focusing on the improvement of landslide forecasting models for regional-scale early warning systems.
He earned his Ph.D. in Earth Sciences from the University of Pisa, and he has collaborated with different institutions, including the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI) in Oslo, where he contributed to the calibration of machine learning algorithms for landslide prediction. He has also been actively involved in projects with the Italian National Civil Protection Department, enhancing rainfall threshold models and web-based monitoring platforms.
Dr. Nocentini has authored multiple peer-reviewed publications and presented his research at leading international conferences such as the EGU General Assembly and the World Landslide Forum. His expertise spans GIS-based modeling, statistical analysis, and AI-driven geohazard prediction, making significant contributions to the field of landslide risk assessment and mitigation.
Geosciences Best Paper Award
Winning Paper: “Improving the Estimation of the Occurrence Time of an Impending Major Earthquake Using the Entropy Change of Seismicity in Natural Time Analysis”
by Panayiotis A. Varotsos, Nicholas V. Sarlis, Efthimios S. Skordas, Toshiyasu Nagao, Masashi Kamogawa, E. Leticia Flores-Márquez, Alejandro Ramírez-Rojas and Jennifer Perez-Oregon
Geosciences 2023, 13(8), 222; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences13080222
Award Presenter: Prof. Dr. Olivier Lacombe (Section Editor-in-Chief of Geosciences)
Prof. Dr. Panayiotis A. Varotsos is Emeritus Professor at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. Since the 1970s, he has focused on the dielectric properties of solids, including several rocks, and has established a rigorous foundation of the thermodynamic parameters that govern the formation and/or migration of defects in solids. In the beginning of the 1980s, Prof. Dr. Varotsos found that the presence of aliovalent impurities in ionic solids results in the formation of extrinsic defects, forming electric dipoles, the relaxation time of which depends on pressure (stress). He also showed that when the pressure reaches a critical value, σcr, a cooperative orientation of these dipoles may occur, which results in the emission of a transient electric signal. This may happen before an earthquake (critical point) since the stress gradually increases in the focal region before the rupture. These signals are termed Seismic Electric Signals (SESs) and have been experimentally detected since 1981, providing information on the magnitude and location of the epicenter of a forthcoming earthquake. Such signals have been observed at many occasions in Greece and in other countries. Moreover, in 2001, a new concept of time, termed natural time, was introduced, the analysis of which enables the study of the dynamical evolution of a complex system and identifies when the system approaches a dynamic phase transition. Such a transition is a major earthquake occurrence.
Prof. Dr. Varotsos has authored or co-authored approximately 300 publications and five monographs.
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
12 December 2024
Energies | Aims and Scope Update
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
29 November 2024
Energies | Most Viewed Papers in 2023 (III)
