Springer Nature report "highlights progress across several divisions"

Springer Nature says it annual progress report, published today, outlines the role the company’s continued investment in technology is playing in supporting its staff in further accelerating the publication process, protecting the integrity of the academic record and delivering continuously increasing value to its users and customers.

In 2023 its spend in technology increased to more than €173m and more than a third of employees in the research division are now in tech-heavy roles. In particular:  

• Its new article submission platform, Snapp, achieved the milestone of supporting one million submissions;  
• Investment in in-house created research integrity tools such as Geppetto, which scans submissions for suspicious text, and SnappShot, which detects manipulated images, supported in the identification of c. 8,000 submissions with major integrity problems; and
  
• AskAdis, an AI-powered conversational interface developed for the pharma sector is providing more immediate and relevant answers to research questions.   

The year 2023 also saw Springer Nature publish a record number of articles including open access (OA) articles, meaning more research was immediately and freely available for all to use than ever before.  

Frank Vrancken Peeters, CEO of Springer Nature, said: “I am proud of the positive progress and change we delivered for the communities we serve in 2023. In no small part, this was due to our talented and dedicated colleagues in over 40 countries who are helping researchers, clinicians, students, and teachers find solutions to the world’s biggest challenges.  

“Our significant investments in technology and Open Access publishing ensured we were able to grow our business responsibly, maintaining high standards and impact, while propelling us towards a future where knowledge is universally accessible. This not only supports the advancement of science but also enhances equity and inclusivity in research. With protecting the integrity of scientific research becoming increasingly important, we also doubled the size of our research integrity group to ensure the research we publish can be trusted and built on to advance new discoveries”.   

Highlights of the report include:  

• 420,000 primary research articles published — equivalent to more than 1,100 articles per day;  
• 44% of primary research articles published open access (OA), a significant increase from 38% in 2022;  
• More than 940,000 pieces of SDG-related research published since 2015 and cited more than 13 million times; and   
• Content being used more with downloads reaching 3.1 billion, or 8.5 million every day — an 8% increase year on year.   

The report also shows continued investment in Springer Nature's talented workforce of 9,400 people in over 40 countries, the publisher says. The launch of its new employer proposition, Be Part of Progress, aims to guide the delivery of initiatives where colleagues are encouraged and supported to reach their full potential. Early 2024 also saw the company recognised externally as a Leading Employer in Germany, the UK and the US, and internal employee satisfaction also increasing.    

Macmillan Education supported students on their learning journey with the publication of 86 new textbook series, helping the business record strong, above pre-pandemic, level of sales in its 180th anniversary year. Its Advancing Futures programme, by helping teachers introduce topics such as citizenship, DEI and sustainability into the classroom, empowers students to work towards a better future for all people and the planet.   

The Health business recorded strong results in India and rolled out Medbee in Germany, a mobile-first community platform for doctors. In all, the company achieved an underlying revenue growth of 5.2% and revenues of €1.85 billion.