Springer Nature’s open access agreements now extend to nearly three quarters of European Union countries, covering 20 of the 27 member states. These agreements allow researchers at participating universities to publish their work openly, increasing visibility and reach. In 2026, agreements were renewed with national consortia in Czechia, Greece, and Finland, reflecting sustained demand for open access publishing models.
The publisher also renewed its four‑year agreement with swissuniversities, introduced a new national agreement in Iceland, and extended its long‑standing arrangement in the United Kingdom. According to Springer Nature’s Chief Commercial Officer, the continued signing and renewal of agreements demonstrates strong demand from the research community and highlights the impact of locally tailored approaches in supporting Europe’s transition to open access.
Beyond Europe, 2026 has seen renewals and expansions in markets including Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Japan, and the United States. Springer Nature now maintains more than 85 transformative agreements worldwide, covering researchers from over 4,400 institutions. Since 2015, these agreements have supported the publication of more than 300,000 open access articles.
Data from the publisher indicates that open access articles receive six times more downloads, averaging over 737 million between 2019 and 2024, and 1.6 times more citations compared to subscription articles. In 2025, 62 percent of Springer Nature’s research related to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals was published open access.
Further details on transformative agreements and open access strategy are available in the publisher’s latest annual report and 2025 OA report.
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