What Happened to Springer Nature / Max Planck Society?

The relationship between Springer Nature, a global publishing powerhouse, and the Max Planck Society, Germany's preeminent scientific research organization, is largely defined by their pioneering efforts in advancing open access (OA) to scientific research. This collaboration gained significant momentum with the signing of transformative agreements under Germany's Projekt DEAL initiative.

The Genesis of Open Access Collaboration In January 2020, Springer Nature and MPDL Services GmbH, representing Projekt DEAL, finalized the world's largest transformative open access agreement to date. This landmark deal allowed authors affiliated with over 700 German academic and research institutions to publish their accepted manuscripts immediately open access in a vast array of Springer Nature's hybrid and fully OA journals, with costs managed centrally by their institutions. The agreement was projected to facilitate the open publication of over 13,000 articles annually from German researchers, significantly increasing the visibility and impact of their work.

Building on this success, October 2020 saw a groundbreaking agreement specifically for the prestigious Nature and Nature-branded journals between Springer Nature and the Max Planck Digital Library (MPDL). This four-year transformative agreement, effective from January 2021, provided authors from participating German institutions the ability to publish their research in these high-impact journals immediately open access at no direct cost to them, alongside gaining read access to the complete Nature portfolio.

Further solidifying their commitment to open research across all formats, in May 2022, Springer Nature and the Max Planck Society, via MPDL, signed their largest institutional OA book deal. This agreement covered all Springer Nature book imprints across diverse disciplines, providing OA funding and discounts for affiliated authors from over 80 Max Planck Institutes, marking a pivotal step in accelerating the transition to OA for scholarly books.

Continued Evolution and Recent Developments (2024-2026) The commitment to open access was reaffirmed and expanded in November 2023, when MPDL Services gGmbH, on behalf of the DEAL consortium, signed a second five-year contract with Springer Nature. This agreement, which commenced on January 1, 2024, and runs until December 31, 2028, seamlessly continues and enhances the open access publishing opportunities and reading access for German institutions. Notably, negotiations for the integration of Nature-branded journals into the broader DEAL contract were planned for 2024, aiming for a more unified approach to OA across Springer Nature's portfolio.

Springer Nature's Independent Trajectory (2024-2026) Beyond the DEAL agreements, Springer Nature has demonstrated robust financial and operational performance. In March 2025, the company reported strong results for the financial year 2024, with underlying revenue increasing by 5% to €1,847 million and adjusted operating profit rising by 7% to €512 million, primarily driven by its Research segment and open access journals.

This positive trend continued into 2025 and 2026. For the full year 2025, Springer Nature reported 'strong' financial results, with revenue reaching €1,926.4 million (6.2% underlying growth) and adjusted operating profit increasing to €543.6 million (9.2% underlying growth). The Research segment remained the key growth driver, with a significant increase in full open access (FOA) articles. The company also signed 19 new transformative agreements in 2025, bringing its total to 85 agreements covering over 4,000 institutions. Springer Nature has also been actively investing in and deploying AI tools to enhance the publishing process and ensure research integrity.

In the first quarter of 2026, Springer Nature continued its strong performance, with underlying revenue growth of 6.2% to €451.4 million and adjusted operating profit growth of 8.6%. The company launched 19 new journals, including the 'Nature Progress' OA series, and further expanded its transformative agreements, now covering more than 4,000 institutions globally.

Max Planck Society's Independent Trajectory (2024-2026) The Max Planck Society has maintained its status as a world-leading research institution, marked by significant scientific achievements and strategic expansions. In 2025, the Max Planck Society was ranked second in the European Spinouts Report for deep tech and life science spin-offs, leading in the number of 'unicorns' (start-ups valued over $1 billion) and total capital valuation, with 13 new spin-offs launched that year. The society also launched its Transatlantic Program in July 2025 to foster scientific cooperation and the MAXMINDS Initiative in September 2025 to support researchers at risk.

Recent developments in 2026 highlight the Max Planck Society's ongoing commitment to cutting-edge research and global collaboration. In March 2026, it announced a new school for biomedical AI and in April 2026, launched two new research centers in Singapore. A kick-off conference for the Max Planck IAS-NTU Center for Particle Physics, Cosmology, and Geometry, a collaboration with Princeton's Institute for Advanced Study and National Taiwan University, was held in March 2026, following its operational start in July 2025. Most recently, in June 2026, eight Max Planck Society scientists were awarded prestigious ERC Advanced Grants, each receiving up to €2.5 million for their research projects. The society also introduced a new validation program, 'Prove2Move,' with an annual budget of €4 million, to strengthen technology transfer and promote innovation.

In summary, the collaboration between Springer Nature and the Max Planck Society continues to be a driving force in the global shift towards open access, while both organizations independently demonstrate strong growth, innovation, and a sustained commitment to advancing scientific discovery and its dissemination.