Springer Nature’s transformative agreement (TA) with Couperin sees number of participating French institutions more than double
Paris | London | Heidelberg, February 6, 2025
In July 2024, Springer Nature entered into a transformative multi-year agreement with Couperin, the French consortium dedicated to higher education and research establishments. Initially launched with 17 institutions, in 2025 the agreement will cover 49 institutions.
The agreement allows participating institutions to publish their research OA, significantly enhancing the visibility and impact of French researchers and further supports the global dissemination of French research. In addition, researchers from these institutions gain access to over 2,200 titles across the Springer, Palgrave, and Adis imprints, showcasing Springer Nature’s commitment to one of Europe’s key academic markets.
Dagmar Laging, VP of Institutional Sales Europe for Springer Nature, stated:
“We are thrilled to see the growing interest and participation from French institutions in our transformative agreement negotiated by Couperin. This initiative is designed to empower researchers by providing them with the resources they need to share their research results with the world and foster global research collaboration.”
TAs continue to demonstrate their effectiveness in driving global open access by enabling diverse researchers to publish openly, increasing their reach and impact, and fostering collaboration while ensuring equitable access to research. This is particularly the case in France, where the commitment to open access plays a vital role. Data from other countries implementing TAs in 2023 show OA uptake increasing from 14% to 78%, with Portugal experiencing the most notable growth, rising from 6% to 72%1.
All Couperin members are invited to join the agreement at any stage, including those who are not currently subscribing to Springer Nature journals. This inclusive approach aims to foster collaboration, encourage open access publishing, and maximize the global reach of research produced by French institutions.
For more information about the agreement or to inquire about participation, please contact jad.rabah@springernature.com.
1 White paper Accelerating open access at scale
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The French consortium of higher education institutions, Couperin, is a major advocate for open science in France. Couperin brings together over 250 universities, research organisations, grandes écoles, national libraries, and others. Its core missions include assessing and addressing the documentary needs of its members, as well as negotiating and overseeing the acquisition of digital documentary resources on their behalf. Couperin operates as a non-profit association, supported by membership fees and subsidies from the Ministry of Higher Education and Research (MESR). Additionally, it administers a national network for skills and exchanges in electronic documentation, offering services such as usage statistics analysis.
For more information, please visit couperin.org.
Stefanie Toegel | Corporate Communications | Springer Nature
