Swiss researchers published at rates of 65 to 70 percent open access
In the ongoing effort to make scientific knowledge freely available, MDPI and the Consortium of Swiss Academic Libraries have renewed their publishing agreement, extending discounted access to open publication for researchers across 24 Swiss institutions. Switzerland, already among the world's leaders in open access adoption, reaffirms through this quiet administrative act a deeper philosophical commitment: that publicly funded knowledge ought to circulate without walls. The renewal is modest in its mechanics yet meaningful as a marker of where academic publishing is slowly, unevenly heading.
- Switzerland's 65–70% open access publication rate is not an accident — it reflects years of institutional policy, funding mandates, and agreements exactly like this one.
- A 20% discount on article processing charges offers real but incomplete relief, reducing fees by 300–500 Swiss francs while leaving the underlying cost barrier intact for researchers at less-resourced institutions.
- The agreement's opacity — unnamed institutions, undisclosed financial terms — is standard practice, yet it limits public accountability for how academic publishing costs are being managed.
- MDPI's leadership framed the renewal in the language of partnership and shared values, a posture that is both genuinely accurate and strategically useful for a publisher competing in a rapidly shifting market.
- The one-year term keeps both parties at the negotiating table regularly, signaling a relationship built on ongoing mutual interest rather than long-term certainty.
On June 10th, 2026, MDPI announced the renewal of its publishing agreement with the Consortium of Swiss Academic Libraries, continuing a collaboration that now spans 24 Swiss institutions. The core mechanism is familiar: researchers at participating universities receive a 20 percent discount on article processing charges — the fees that make open publishing possible in place of traditional paywalls. The agreement runs for one year.
The renewal carries weight beyond its administrative simplicity. Between 2021 and 2025, Swiss researchers published at open access rates of 65 to 70 percent — among the highest anywhere in the world. The scale of MDPI's Swiss presence reinforces this: nearly 30,000 researchers, over 2,100 papers in 2025 alone, more than 5,400 authors, and 1,574 Swiss-based academic editors across the publisher's 327 journals.
What the announcement withholds is also notable. The 24 institutions are unnamed, and financial terms remain confidential — standard practice, but one that makes independent assessment difficult. The 20 percent discount is meaningful in concrete terms, reducing typical fees by 300 to 500 Swiss francs, yet it does not eliminate the barrier for researchers at institutions with limited budgets.
MDPI's executives described the renewal as evidence of Switzerland's mature open science ecosystem, framing the publisher as a partner in that mission. The characterization is fair, though it also serves the company's positioning in a competitive and rapidly evolving market. For now, the agreement holds — a quiet signal that Switzerland intends to remain at the forefront of open access, and that MDPI intends to remain part of that story.
On June 10th, 2026, MDPI—the Basel-based academic publisher—announced it had renewed its publishing agreement with the Consortium of Swiss Academic Libraries, extending a collaboration that now reaches 24 Swiss institutions. The deal is straightforward in its mechanics: researchers at these universities will continue to receive a 20 percent discount on article processing charges, the fees researchers pay to publish their work openly rather than behind paywalls. For a year, this arrangement holds.
The renewal matters because it reflects something larger about Switzerland's research ecosystem. According to MDPI's own accounting, between 2021 and 2025, Swiss researchers published at rates of 65 to 70 percent open access—among the highest in the world. That consistency, year after year, signals not a temporary trend but an institutional commitment. The numbers behind it are substantial: MDPI has worked with nearly 30,000 researchers from Swiss universities. In 2025 alone, more than 2,100 papers from Swiss institutions appeared in MDPI's 327 journals, authored by over 5,400 researchers. Another 2,817 Swiss scholars contributed peer review reports—9,656 of them across the network. The publisher also employed 1,574 Swiss-based academic editors, including a dozen editors-in-chief.
What the announcement does not include is equally telling. The 24 participating institutions are not named. The financial terms of the agreement remain confidential. These omissions are standard in such deals, but they also mean the public cannot easily assess which universities benefit or what the actual cost to institutions might be. The agreement runs for one year, suggesting this is a renewable arrangement rather than a long-term commitment—a structure that keeps both parties negotiating regularly.
Alistair Freeland, MDPI's chief operating officer, framed the renewal as evidence of "strong support for Open Access publishing across Switzerland's academic community." Stefan Tochev, the company's CEO, emphasized the "consistently high OA publication rates" and called the partnership a sign of "the depth and maturity of the Swiss research ecosystem." Both statements are true as far as they go, but they also serve the publisher's interest in positioning itself as a partner in Switzerland's open science ambitions rather than simply a vendor extracting fees.
The broader context is that open access publishing has become a policy priority across Europe and beyond. Funding agencies increasingly require that research they support be published openly. Universities face pressure to reduce their journal subscription costs while expanding researcher access to publishing outlets. MDPI, which has grown rapidly over the past decade, has positioned itself as an alternative to traditional publishers by offering open access journals and, through deals like this one, making publication more affordable for researchers in specific regions.
The 20 percent discount is meaningful but not transformative. Article processing charges at MDPI journals typically range from 1,500 to 2,500 Swiss francs, depending on the journal. A 20 percent reduction brings that down by 300 to 500 francs—real money for researchers working with limited budgets, but not enough to eliminate the barrier entirely. Many researchers at less wealthy institutions still cannot afford to publish openly, even with a discount.
What the renewal signals is continuity. Switzerland will remain a hub for open access publishing, and MDPI will remain a significant player in that ecosystem. The agreement suggests that both the publisher and the Swiss academic libraries see value in maintaining the relationship. Whether the terms will shift in the next negotiation, or whether other publishers will offer competing deals, remains to be seen. For now, the arrangement holds steady.
Citações Notáveis
Our ongoing collaboration with CSAL reflects the strong support for Open Access publishing across Switzerland's academic community. As a Swiss-founded publishing house, we are especially proud to support researchers in Switzerland.— Alistair Freeland, Chief Operating Officer, MDPI
Demand for Open Access in Switzerland remains strong, as reflected in our latest Country Report, which shows consistently high OA publication rates of around 65–70% and strong engagement from thousands of researchers across Swiss institutions.— Stefan Tochev, CEO, MDPI
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Why does a publishing deal between a company and 24 Swiss universities warrant attention?
Because it shows how open access publishing is becoming embedded in how research actually gets done. This isn't a one-off transaction—it's a renewal, which means it's working for both sides.
But 20 percent off publishing fees still leaves researchers paying thousands of francs to publish their own work. Doesn't that seem backwards?
It does, and that tension is real. The discount helps, but it doesn't solve the fundamental problem that researchers have to pay to make their work public. What the deal shows is that institutions are trying to absorb some of that cost on behalf of their researchers.
The announcement doesn't name the 24 institutions. Why keep that secret?
Standard practice in these deals. Institutions often prefer not to disclose the terms they've negotiated, and publishers want to avoid comparisons. But it does mean the public can't easily see which universities benefit or what the actual financial commitment is.
Switzerland publishes 65 to 70 percent open access. That's remarkably high. What explains it?
Policy, funding requirements, and institutional culture. Swiss funding agencies have pushed for open access for years. Universities have made it a priority. And there's a philosophical alignment—the idea that publicly funded research should be publicly available. MDPI's numbers suggest that commitment is real and sustained.
Is MDPI a trustworthy partner in this, or are they just extracting value?
Both, probably. They're a for-profit publisher offering a service that researchers need. The discount is real, but it's also a business strategy—they're building market share in a region where open access is already popular. That doesn't make the deal bad for researchers, but it's worth remembering who benefits most.
What happens when this one-year agreement expires?
They'll likely negotiate again. Whether the terms improve, stay the same, or get worse depends on how much leverage each side has. If other publishers start offering better deals, MDPI will feel pressure. If Swiss institutions decide the discount isn't enough, they might push back. For now, it's stable.