EDP Sciences has confirmed that all six mathematics journals co-published with the Société de Mathématiques Appliquées et Industrielles (SMAI) will continue to be available in Open Access in 2025 through the Subscribe to Open (S2O) model. This renewal, achieved under increasingly difficult conditions, reflects sustained—but fragile—support for equitable and non-APC-based Open Access within the mathematical research community.
The 2025 renewal campaign proved significantly more challenging than in previous years, raising concerns about the long-term viability of the S2O model. While the continuation of all six journals was ultimately secured, ESAIM: Control, Optimisation and Calculus of Variations required targeted financial intervention from SMAI and Insmi (CNRS Mathematics) to ensure its Open Access status.
Support from subscribing libraries and academic institutions remains critical to the S2O framework, which enables publication without article processing charges. The continued availability of these journals in Open Access underlines the importance of collective action in maintaining sustainable publishing pathways, especially during a period of heightened uncertainty.
The model’s sustainability was further reinforced by institutional backing from entities such as the CERMICS Lab at École des Ponts ParisTech, funding through the French National Agreement, and active participation from the French mathematical community. These efforts have been essential in upholding the principles of open science without shifting financial burdens onto individual authors.
EDP Sciences will continue to maintain transparency in the administration of the S2O model, with an updated Transparency Report for 2024 scheduled for release later this year.
The six journals continuing under S2O in 2025 are:
• ESAIM: Control, Optimisation and Calculus of Variations
• ESAIM: Mathematical Modelling and Numerical Analysis
• ESAIM: Probability and Statistics
• Mathematical Modelling of Natural Phenomena
• RAIRO – Theoretical Informatics and Applications
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