Springer Nature: A Decade of Growth and Innovation – Celebrating Springboard’s 10th Anniversary

Springer nature Marks Decade of Progress with Global Celebrations

TOKYO, JAPAN – Springer Nature, a leading global research, education and technology company, is celebrating it’s 10-year anniversary, marking a decade of supporting the scientific community and fostering innovation. Celebrations have taken place across the company’s 50+ global locations, highlighting a decade of growth and collaboration.

The company, formed through the merger of Springer Science+Business Media and Nature Publishing Group, has become a pivotal force in advancing discovery. events have focused on recognizing the contributions of its employees and reaffirming its commitment to researchers worldwide.

The Japan office hosted a special event where colleagues shared personal reflections and photographs commemorating the merger. the celebration included a unique senryu poetry competition centered on company life, alongside a quiz testing knowledge of Springer Nature’s history and impact.

Antoine Bocquet, Managing Director of Springer Nature japan, addressed attendees, emphasizing the company’s resilience and dedication. “Springer Nature has been established for 10 years. Looking back, the world has undergone important change, with technologies and events emerging that didn’t exist a decade ago. Throughout this period, Springer Nature has consistently provided a stable habitat for both the research community and our colleagues, nurturing a collaborative culture,” Bocquet stated. “We are excited to continue growing together, striving to deliver the best possible services to researchers globally.”

A Decade of Conversion in Scientific Publishing

The anniversary arrives at a time of rapid evolution in the scientific publishing landscape. Over the past ten years, open access publishing has gained significant momentum, driven by funder mandates and a growing desire for wider dissemination of research findings. Springer Nature has been at the forefront of this movement, expanding its open access portfolio and developing innovative publishing models.

The rise of data science and artificial intelligence has also profoundly impacted research, creating new opportunities for discovery but also presenting challenges in terms of data management and reproducibility. Springer Nature has responded by investing in technologies and services to support researchers in navigating this evolving landscape.

Looking ahead, Springer Nature is poised to play a crucial role in addressing global challenges such as climate change, public health, and lasting growth. By continuing to support the research community and embrace innovation, the company aims to accelerate the pace of discovery and contribute to a brighter future.

Further details on the anniversary and the company’s vision for the future can be found in a recent blog post by CEO Frank Vrancken Peeters: https://www.springernature.com/gp/advancing-discovery/springboard/blog/blogposts-open-research/celebrating-ten-years-of-being-part-of-progress/27775912

more press releases from Nature Asia are available here: https://www.natureasia.com/en/info/press-releases

How did Springboard address teh need for more flexible and transparent publishing options for researchers in 2015?

The Genesis of Springboard: Empowering Researchers

Springer Nature’s Springboard platform, launched in 2015, marked a pivotal moment in academic publishing. Recognizing the evolving needs of researchers – especially the demand for more flexible and transparent publishing options – Springboard was conceived as a portfolio of open access and hybrid journals. This initiative directly addressed the growing push for open access publishing, research dissemination, and scholarly dialog.Initially, the focus was on providing a streamlined pathway for researchers to publish high-quality work while retaining greater control over their copyright.

Key milestones in Springboard’s First Five Years (2015-2020)

The first five years where characterized by rapid expansion and refinement of the Springboard model. Here’s a breakdown of key developments:

Portfolio growth: The number of journals within the Springboard portfolio increased significantly,covering a diverse range of disciplines including biomedical sciences,chemistry,engineering,and environmental science.

Article Processing Charge (APC) Openness: Springboard prioritized clear and upfront APC pricing, eliminating hidden fees and providing researchers with predictable publishing costs. This transparency was a key differentiator.

Faster Publication Times: A commitment to efficient peer review and production processes resulted in demonstrably faster publication timelines compared to conventional publishing routes. Early data showed average times to publication reduced by up to 30%.

Enhanced Discoverability: All Springboard journals are indexed in major databases like Scopus and Web of Science, ensuring broad visibility and impact for published research.

Introduction of membership Programs: Institutions began to adopt Springboard membership programs, providing their researchers with discounted APCs and streamlined publishing workflows.

Springboard’s Expansion and Innovation (2020-2025)

The latter half of Springboard’s first decade saw a focus on innovation and broadening its impact.

Embracing Open Science Practices

Springboard actively embraced open science principles, encouraging researchers to share data, protocols, and code alongside their publications.This included:

1. Data Availability Statements: Mandatory data availability statements in all published articles.
2. Integration with Repositories: Partnerships with leading data repositories to facilitate data sharing.
3. Preprint Server compatibility: Seamless integration with preprint servers like bioRxiv and arXiv, allowing researchers to share their work early and receive feedback.

New Publishing Models & technologies

Registered Reports: Springboard journals increasingly adopted the registered Reports format, where the study design is peer-reviewed before data collection, reducing publication bias.

AI-Powered Tools: Implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) tools to assist with peer review, plagiarism detection, and manuscript formatting, improving efficiency and quality.

Enhanced Peer Review: Introduction of transparent peer review options, allowing authors to publish the full peer review history alongside their article.

Hybrid Publishing Options: expanding hybrid publishing options within established Springer Nature journals, offering authors a choice between traditional subscription-based and open access publishing.

Global Reach and Partnerships

Springboard expanded its global reach through strategic partnerships with research institutions and funding agencies worldwide. This included:

Collaborative Agreements: agreements with universities in Europe, Asia, and North America to support open access publishing.

Funding Initiatives: Participation in funding initiatives that incentivize open access publication.

Localized Support: Providing publishing support in multiple languages to cater to a diverse researcher community.

The Impact of Springboard: Benefits for Researchers and Institutions

Springboard’s success can be attributed to the tangible benefits it offers:

Increased Visibility: Open access publication leads to higher citation rates and broader research impact.

Faster Dissemination: Rapid publication times accelerate the pace of scientific discovery.

Cost-Effectiveness: Transparent APCs and membership programs provide affordable publishing options.

Simplified Workflow: streamlined submission and publishing processes save researchers time and effort.

Compliance with Funders: Springboard journals meet the open access requirements of many major funding agencies.

Institutional Reputation: Supporting open access publishing enhances an institution’s research profile and impact.

springboard and the Future of Scholarly Publishing

Looking ahead, Springboard is poised to play a crucial role in shaping the future of scholarly publishing. Continued investment in innovative technologies