The 4th Sustainable Publishing Forum
The 4th Sustainable Publishing Forum
Part of the Sustainable Publishing Forum series
Innovations in Scholarly Publishing, Intellectual Property Challenges, Legal Property Challenges, OA Business Models, Transformative Agreements, KUDOS, OA Research Evaluation Processes, Ethics in AI, Quality and Editorial Concepts in Scholarly Publishing
Welcome from the Chairs
Welcome to the 4th Sustainable Publishing Forum (SPF 2025) in Barcelona!
Building on the success of our previous forums, including the 3rd Sustainable Publishing Forum, this year marks an exciting milestone as we launch the event on the international stage. We are delighted to invite you to join us in Barcelona on 13th and 14th November 2025 for this exciting one-day conference.
The 3rd Sustainable Publishing Forum in Basel brought together participants from various regions to exchange ideas, discuss innovations, and explore collaborative opportunities. With this 4th edition, we aim to expand the reach of our discussions, welcoming a truly global audience and advancing our shared goals for the future of sustainable scholarly publishing.
Key Sessions
This forum features the three following focused sessions addressing critical topics in the publishing world:- Innovations in Scholarly Publishing: unveiling transformative technologies and methods redefining the publishing landscape.
- Legal and Intellectual Property Challenges: addressing the complexities of copyright, ethics, and intellectual property management.
- Quality and Editorial concepts in Scholarly Publishing: Enhancing standards and practices to uphold academic integrity and excellence.
Additionally, our panel session entitled “Will Gen AI kill editorial publishing?” will convene stakeholders from various sectors of the publishing industry for a roundtable discussion, fostering dialogue on common challenges and pathways to collaboration.
Why Attend?
- Be inspired by thought-provoking discussions led by experts.
- Discover the latest trends and innovations in sustainable publishing.
- Engage with peers and expand your professional network.
We look forward to welcoming you to Barcelona for this event, where you will have the chance to share your insights, connect with industry leaders, and help shape the future of our field.
Kind regards,
Topical Advisory Board
School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Arizona State University, Phoenix, USA.
STEM publishing and digital delivery models; bibliometrics; best practices for editors, authors and reviewers.
Dr. Alexandre López-Borrull is an associate professor at the Open University of Catalonia (UOC), where he is the director of the Bachelor's Degree in Information and Documentation. He holds a PhD in Chemistry from the Autonomous University of Barcelona and a Bachelor's degree in Documentation from the UOC. As a researcher, he has worked on the legal aspects of information and electronic information sources in science and technology, and has participated in various research and transfer projects. His current research interests are related to disinformation and open science. He is also a member of the GAME research group (UOC).
With a career in publishing going back to 1986, Peter Roth has witnessed the development of the Open Access publishing concept since its inception. Peter, who joined MDPI in 2019, has a keen focus on ensuring that the Open Access model delivers a ‘triple win’: success for our customers, success for ourselves as a company, and success for the scientific community at large. He was for many years Director of the Editorial Division of Karger Publishers, a worldwide publisher of scientific and medical content based in Basel, Switzerland. Peter has extensive experience of editorial strategy, publication concept development and management, and new business development and customer relationship management on all continents, especially in Asia. Within MDPI, he has overseen the establishment of a range of new journals and books, reorganised editorial governance, and set up our first office in Japan.
Registration
The registration for SPF 2025 will be free of charge! The registration includes attendance to all forum sessions.
If you are registering several people under the same registration, please do not use the same email address for each person, but their individual university email addresses. Thank you for your understanding.
The deadline for registration is 10th November 2025.
Location and Venue
UPF - BSM
Address: C/ de Balmes, 132, 134, 08008 Barcelona, Spain
Visa Information
Please note that you must apply for your own visa application. MDPI is not responsible for any visa application. However, MDPI can provide a Visa Support Letter. To be eligible for such a document, the criteria below must be fulfilled.
Visa Support Letter
- Applicants must have registration in order to get a letter of support.
- Applicants must provide us with a scan of their valid, in-date passport that contains a photo of them.
- Applicants must provide us with an academic CV, two references from their institution (contact information including institutional email and phone), and a letter of support from their institution to confirm that they support the delegate attending the meeting.
-
This must be carried out in good time before the meeting; “last minute” requests will not be processed.
More useful information on visa application
Plan Your Trip
Barcelona
Barcelona is the capital and largest city of Catalonia and is Spain's second-largest city, with a population of over one and a half million people.
Located on the northeastern Mediterranean coast of Spain, this city has a rich and diverse history, with its roots dating back to Roman times. The fruitful medieval period established Barcelona's position as the economic and political center of the Western Mediterranean. The city's Gothic Quarter bears witness to the splendor enjoyed by the city from the 13th to the 15th centuries.
The 20th century ushered in widespread urban renewal throughout Barcelona city, culminating in its landmark Eixample district, which showcases some of Barcelona's most distinctive Catalan art-nouveau, or modernista, buildings. The Catalan Antoni Gaudí, one of the most eminent architects, designed buildings such as La Pedrera, the Casa Batlló, and the Sagrada Família church, which have become world-famous landmarks.
In 1992, Barcelona gained international recognition by hosting the Olympic games, which brought about a massive upturn in its tourism industry. For visitors, this has translated into the very modern yet incredibly old city you see now in the 21st century, where new elements work to both preserve and celebrate the city’s heritage and origins.
Barcelona has plenty of outdoor markets, restaurants, shops, museums, and churches. The city is also very walkable, with an extensive and reliable Metro system for more far-flung destinations.
Travel
Barcelona is a vibrant and accessible city with excellent transportation links. Whether you're arriving by plane, train, or other means, there are convenient options to reach your destination. Below, you'll find detailed guidance to ensure a smooth journey to the conference venue.
By plane:
The international airport of Barcelona, Barcelona-El Prat, is located 10 km from the city center. It is well connected to major airport hubs in Europe and various locations worldwide. For more information about the airport and flights, please visit the official website: https://www.aena.es. Once you arrive at the airport, you have several options to reach the venue:
-
By train: Take the TRAIN R2 NORD (https://rodalies.gencat.cat). Disembark at Barcelona Sants station. From there, you can either take METRO L5 (get off at Diagonal) or a taxi, available just outside the station. The train from the airport costs EUR 4.60, and the metro costs EUR 2.55. Tickets can be purchased at train stations and metro stops, respectively. A taxi from the station to the conference venue costs approximately EUR 10.
-
By metro: Take LINE L9 (https://www.tmb.cat). which connects Barcelona Airport (both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2) to the city. Disembark at Collblanc station, and from there, transfer to METRO L5 (get off at Diagonal). The metro from the airport costs EUR 5.50, and the city metro costs EUR 2.55.
-
By taxi: Taxis are readily available just outside the arrivals area. A taxi from the airport to the conference venue costs approximately EUR 30–35. Alternatively, VTC apps like Bolt and Cabify also operate in Barcelona and might offer more competitive rates.
By train:
Barcelona Sants is the city's largest train station, providing rail services for Barcelona, the rest of Spain, and international destinations. For more information about the station and train services, please visit the official website: https://www.renfe.com. Once you arrive at the station, you have the following options to reach the venue:
-
By metro: Take LINE L5 (https://www.tmb.cat) and get off at Diagonal.
-
By taxi: axis are available just outside the station. A taxi from the station to the conference venue costs approximately EUR 10.
Sponsors and Partners
As organizers, we are excited to create an immersive and insightful event, and we invite you to be a vital part of SPF 2025. Explore our sponsorship opportunities and join us in shaping the future of plant-related research and innovation.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact us via email at spf2025@mdpi.com.
We appreciate your consideration!
For information regarding sponsorship and exhibition opportunities, please click here.
Organizers
Media Partners
Conference Secretariat
Mr. Spatar Ionut
Ms. Iuliana Adelina Platon
spf2025@mdpi.com
