Springer Nature

Springer Nature or the Springer Nature

Group[1][2] is a German-British academic
publishing company created by the May
2015 merger of Springer
Science+Business Media and Holtzbrinck
Publishing Group's Nature Publishing
Group, Palgrave Macmillan, and Macmillan
Education.[3]
 Springer Nature

Type Privately held

Kommanditgesellschaft
auf Aktien with an
Aktiengesellschaft as
general partner
Industry Publishing

Founded 2015

Headquarters London (global)

Berlin (corporate)
New York City (sales)
Area served Worldwide

Key people Frank Vrancken

Peeters (CEO)
Revenue US$ 2.1 billion (2022)
Owners Holtzbrinck
Publishing Group
(53%)
BC Partners (47%)
Number of 10,000 (2019)
employees

Website www.springernature
.com (http://www.spri
ngernature.com)
Footnotes / references
[1]

History
The company originates from a number of
journals and publishing houses, notably
Springer-Verlag, which was founded in
1842 by Julius Springer in Berlin[4] (the
grandfather of Bernhard Springer who
founded Springer Publishing in 1950 in
New York),[5] Nature Publishing Group
which has published Nature since 1869,[6]
and Macmillan Education, which goes
back to Macmillan Publishers founded in
1843.[7]

Springer Nature was formed in 2015 by the

merger of Nature Publishing Group,
Palgrave Macmillan and Macmillan
Education (held by Holtzbrinck Publishing
Group) with Springer Science+Business
Media (held by BC Partners). Plans for the
merger were first announced on 15
January 2015.[8] The transaction was
concluded in May 2015 with Holtzbrinck
having the majority 53% share.[9]

IPO attempts in May 2018 and Autumn

2020[10] were unfruitful due to unfavorable
market conditions.[11][12]

In 2021, Springer Nature acquired Atlantis

Press, an open access publisher founded
2006 in Paris, focusing on scientific,
technical, and medical (STM) content, and
publication of conference
proceedings.[13][14]

Current company
After the merger, former Springer
Science+Business Media CEO Derk Haank
became CEO of Springer Nature.[15] When
he retired by the end of 2017, he was
succeeded by Daniel Ropers,[16] the co-
founder and long-time CEO of bol.com.[17]
In September 2019, Ropers was replaced
by Frank Vrancken Peeters.[18][19]

The company is releasing a number of

Policies & Reports,[20] including a Modern
Slavery Act statement, a Tax strategy, and
a gender pay gap report for Springer
Nature's UK operations.[21][22]
Brands

The following major brands belong to the

group (see also Subsidiaries):[23]

Nature

Springer.com
BioMed Central
Scientific American
Heinrich Vogel Verlag[24]
SciGraph

Controversies
In 2017, the company agreed to block
access to hundreds of articles on its
Chinese site, cutting off access to articles
on Tibet, Taiwan, and China's political
elite.[25][26]

The company retracted a paper in 2019, in

its journal BMC Emergency Medicine due to
dubious peer-review process (a
herpetologist could have denied the
publication of the paper).[27]

In August 2020, Springer Nature was

reported to have rejected the publication
of an article at the behest of its co-
publisher, Wenzhou Medical University,
from a Taiwanese doctor because the
word "China" was not placed after
"Taiwan".[28][29]

In July 2020, Springer Nature retracted a

paper in the journal Society due to dubious
review process and criticism regarding
racism.[30]

In November 2021, Springer Nature

retracted 44 nonsense papers from the
Arabian Journal of Geosciences after a
lapse in the peer review process.[31][32]

Subsidiaries
Adis International
Apress
Asser Press
BioMed Central
Bohn Stafleu van Loghum
J. B. Metzler
Macmillan Education
Nature Research
Palgrave Macmillan
Scientific American
Springer Healthcare
Springer VS
Springer Verlag
Springer Gabler
Springer Vieweg Verlag
 Springer Medizin
Springer Pflege
Springer Nature Technology and
Publishing Solutions
SciGraph

Further reading
Fact Sheet 2022 (https://media.springer
nature.com/full/springer-cms/rest/v1/c
ontent/17747022/data/v8) (linked PDF)
Fact Sheet Open Access 2022 (https://
media.springernature.com/full/springer-
cms/rest/v1/content/17747030/data/v
16) (linked PDF)
 Springer Nature Group Press Office (http
s://group.springernature.com/gp/group/
media)

See also
Publishing
Scientific publication

References
1. "Über uns: Presse" (https://group.sprin
gernature.com/de/group/media) (in
German). Springer Nature Group.
Retrieved 2021-03-09.
2. "Türen für Entdeckungen Öffnen" (http
s://group.springernature.com/de/grou
p) (in German). Springer Nature
Group. Retrieved 2021-03-08.

3. "Springer Nature created following

merger completion" (https://www.sprin
ger.com/gp/about-springer/media/pre
ss-releases/corporate/springer-nature-
created-following-merger-completion/
256626) . Springer. 6 May 2015.
4. "Springer celebrates 175 years since
its founding" (https://web.archive.org/
web/20181128003621/http://www.kn
owledgespeak.com/newsArchieveview
dtl.asp?pickUpBatch=3187) .
KnowledgeSpeak.com. 11 May 2017.
Archived from the original (http://www.
knowledgespeak.com/newsArchievevi
ewdtl.asp?pickUpBatch=3187) on 28
November 2018. Retrieved April 6,
2018.
5. "Do you mean Springer, Springer or
Springer?" (https://web.archive.org/we
b/20161227145959/http://www.spring
er.com:80/gp/about-springer/compan
y-information/know-your-springer/do-y
ou-mean-springer-springer-or-springer
-/18482) . Springer.com. 2014.
Archived from the original (http://www.
springer.com/gp/about-springer/comp
any-information/know-your-springer/d
o-you-mean-springer-springer-or-sprin
ger-/18482) on 27 December 2016.

6. "Nature" (https://phys.org/journals/nat
ure/) . Phys.org. Retrieved April 6,
2018.
7. "About Us | Springer Nature | Corporate
Affairs Homepage | Springer Nature"
(https://group.springernature.com/de/
group/about-us) .
group.springernature.com. Retrieved
2021-03-09.

8. "Nature publisher to merge with

Springer" (https://www.timeshigheredu
cation.com/news/nature-publisher-to-
merge-with-springer/2017985.article) .
Times Higher Education. 15 January
2015. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
 9. Caroline Carpenter (May 6, 2015).
"Completed merger forms 'Springer
Nature' " (http://www.thebookseller.co
m/news/completed-merger-forms-spri
nger-nature) . The Bookseller.
Retrieved July 8, 2015.

10. "Springer Nature Said to Kick Off 1

Billion-Euro IPO This Month" (https://w
ww.bloomberg.com/news/articles/20
20-09-04/springer-nature-said-to-kick-
off-1-billion-euro-ipo-this-month) .
Bloomberg.com. 2020-09-04.
Retrieved 2021-03-08.
11. Schuetze, Arno (2018-05-08). "Weak
demand forces Springer Nature to
cancel $3.2 billion float at last minute"
(https://www.reuters.com/article/us-s
pringer-nature-ipo-idUSKBN1I91FU) .
Reuters. Retrieved 2021-03-08.

12. Benjamin Robertson, Ruth David, Jan-

Henrik Foerster (3 October 2020).
"Europe IPO Revival Peters Out as
Year's Top German Deal Delayed" (http
s://www.bloombergquint.com/busines
s/bc-partners-backed-springer-nature-i
s-said-to-delay-german-ipo-kfsoqvii) .
Bloomberg.
13. "About Atlantis Press" (https://www.atl
antis-press.com/about) . Atlantis
Press. Retrieved February 5, 2023.

14. Anderson, Porter (March 11, 2021).

"Springer Nature Acquires Paris' Open
Access Atlantis Pres" (https://publishi
ngperspectives.com/2021/03/springer
-nature-acquires-paris-open-access-atl
antis-press-covid19/) . Publishing
Perspectives.
15. "Derk J Haank, Springer
Science+Business: Profile and
Biography" (https://www.bloomberg.co
m/profile/person/3129261) .
Bloomberg.com. Retrieved
2021-03-08.

16. "Derk Haank, Chief Executive Officer to

retire and to be succeeded by Daniel
Ropers" (https://www.springer.com/g
p/about-springer/media/press-release
s/corporate/derk-haank--chief-executiv
e-officer-to-retire-and-to-be-succeeded-
by-daniel-ropers-/12477540) .
www.springer.com. Retrieved
2021-03-08.
17. "Bol.com's Ropers to take Haank's role
at Springer Nature" (https://www.thebo
okseller.com/news/haank-depart-sprin
ger-nature-bolcom-s-ropers-takes-ceo-
role-574476) . The Bookseller. 6 May
2015.

18. "Executive Team | Corporate Affairs

Homepage | Springer Nature" (https://
group.springernature.com/de/group/a
bout-us/executive-team) .
group.springernature.com. Retrieved
2021-03-08.
19. "Springer Nature Announces CEO
Succession: Frank Vrancken Peeters
appointed Chief Executive Officer.
Daniel Ropers to step down. |
Corporate Affairs Homepage | Springer
Nature" (https://group.springernature.c
om/de/group/media/press-releases/s
pringer-nature-announces-ceo-success
ion/17140728) .
group.springernature.com.
20. "Policies, Reports and Acts | Springer
Nature | Corporate Affairs Homepage |
Springer Nature" (https://group.springe
rnature.com/de/group/taking-responsi
bility/policies-reports-acts) .
group.springernature.com. Retrieved
2021-03-08.

21. "Springer Nature reports 15.12% pay

gap" (https://www.thebookseller.com/
news/springer-nature-reports-1512-pa
y-gap-755411) .
www.thebookseller.com. The
Bookseller. Retrieved 2019-08-11.
22. "Springer Nature Gender Pay Gap
Report – April 2018 - EN | Corporate
Affairs Homepage | Springer Nature"
(https://group.springernature.com/gp/
group/springer-nature-gender-pay-gap-
report-april-2018-en/16508070) .
group.springernature.com. Retrieved
2021-03-08.

23. "Springer Nature Group | Corporate

Affairs Homepage | Springer Nature"
(https://group.springernature.com/gp/
group) . group.springernature.com.
Retrieved 2021-03-08.
24. "Heinrich Vogel Shop" (https://www.hei
nrich-vogel-shop.de/) . www.heinrich-
vogel-shop.de. Retrieved 2021-03-08.

25. Hernández, Javier C. (2017-11-01).

"Leading Western Publisher Bows to
Chinese Censorship (Published 2017)"
(https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/0
1/world/asia/china-springer-nature-ce
nsorship.html) . The New York Times.
ISSN 0362-4331 (https://www.worldca
t.org/issn/0362-4331) . Retrieved
2021-03-08.
26. Hilgers, Lauren (January 10, 2018).
"The Mystery of the Exiled Billionaire
Whistle-Blower" (https://www.nytimes.
com/2018/01/10/magazine/the-myst
ery-of-the-exiled-billionaire-whistleblow
er.html?login=email&auth=login-emai
l) . The New York Times.

27. retractionwatch (3 April 2020). "A

snake bites once, but its picture is
used twice" (https://retractionwatch.co
m/2020/04/03/great-snakes-image-mi
xup-helps-doom-snakebite-paper/#mo
re-119209) .
28. Tang, Jane (1 September 2020).
"Springer Nature Journal Rejects
Article by Taiwan Doctor Over Country
Name" (https://www.rfa.org/english/n
ews/china/article-09012020091523.ht
ml) . Radio Free Asia. Retrieved
1 September 2020.

29. Charlie Parker (October 10, 2020).

"Taiwan academics told to identify as
Chinese in journal" (https://www.theti
mes.co.uk/article/taiwan-academics-t
old-to-identify-as-chinese-in-journal-srs
bd7jss) . The Times.
30. retractionwatch (31 July 2020).
"Springer Nature retracts paper that
hundreds called 'overtly racist' " (http
s://retractionwatch.com/2020/07/31/
springer-nature-retracts-paper-that-hun
dreds-called-overtly-racist/) .

31. Isaac Schultz (6 November 2021).

"Science Publisher Retracts 44 Papers
for Being Utter Nonsense" (https://giz
modo.com/science-publisher-retracts-
44-papers-for-being-utter-no-18480046
90) . Gizmodo.
32. Marcus, Adam (November 4, 2021).
"Springer Nature geosciences journal
retracts 44 articles filled with
gibberish" (https://retractionwatch.co
m/2021/11/04/springer-nature-geosci
ences-journal-retracts-44-articles-filled
-with-gibberish/) . Retraction Watch.
Retrieved September 14, 2022.

External links
Official website (http://springernature.co
m/)
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