MDPI, an Open Access (OA) publisher, and the Croatian Academic and Research Libraries Consortium (CARLC) have renewed their partnership, extending the agreement through the end of 2027. More than 70 institutions across Croatia will continue to receive benefits under MDPI's Institutional Open Access Program (IOAP), including discounts on article processing charges (APCs).
Since the partnership began in January 2023, MDPI has published more than 7,170 articles affiliated with participating institutions. Approximately 79% of these articles received APC discounts through the IOAP. The partnership aims to support the dissemination and visibility of Croatian research by providing free access to published articles through MDPI's Open Access platform, where readers can access, share, and download the content. All institutions covered by the original agreement have renewed their participation for a third term.
Researchers affiliated with participating institutions are also eligible for discounts on MDPI Books, Language Editing Services, and the Journal Article Management System (JAMS). Participating institutions receive access to a dedicated dashboard that provides real-time information about articles submitted by their researchers. The dashboard includes article metadata, COUNTER 5.1-compliant usage data, downloadable reports, and information about editorial engagement.
Croatia's national commitment to Open Access dates back to 2012, when the Croatian Open Access Declaration called for publicly funded research to be made available through Open Access publications. In May 2025, the country adopted the Croatian Open Science Plan, further aligning its research system with European and international open science principles.
According to Dimensions.ai, more than 47,500 research papers affiliated with Croatia have been published through Gold Open Access since 2012. Partnerships between Open Access publishers and Croatian research institutions provide frameworks intended to encourage wider adoption of Open Access publishing and improve the accessibility of research outputs.
To date, MDPI has published more than 12,350 articles affiliated with Croatian institutions, of which 52% received APC discounts through CARLC's IOAP membership. The publisher also works with more than 210 editorial board members across Croatia, including a section editor-in-chief and an associate editor.
The renewed agreement reflects the continued collaboration between MDPI and Croatian academic and research institutions in supporting Open Access publishing, research visibility, and access to scholarly content.
The complete list of participating institutions is available on the MDPI Institutional Open Access Program website.
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