Celebrating 5 Years of Growth and Impact: MDPI Singapore

The Singapore office was established in February 2021 with a focused structure—primarily editors supported by lean operations in HR and finance. With a total headcount of 25 throughout the year, the team concentrated on building strong editorial processes and operational stability from the ground up.

In 2022, the office entered a new phase of growth. The team moved to Level 20 of Vision Exchange, marking a significant step in strengthening our physical presence in Singapore.

Headcount nearly doubled from 25 to 49 by the end of the year, reflecting increasing operational capacity. The role of Publishing Specialist was introduced in Singapore, diversifying career pathways and enhancing support for journal development.

2023 was a year of consolidation and strategic development. The editorial team was reorganised into two major groups under newly appointed group leaders, improving collaboration and oversight.

The office welcomed its first locally based Office Manager (OM), transitioning responsibilities previously managed by the China office. This year also saw the establishment of several new departments, including Marketing, IT, Books, Scientific Review/Board, and Conference, broadening the office’s functional expertise.

Additional milestones included:

• Appointment of the first Journal Relationship Specialist (JRS) in November;

• Signing of the first Institutional Open Access Program (IOAP) agreement with Singapore Management University;

• Hosting the first Scholars’ Orientation Briefing (SOB) in Singapore.

By the end of 2024, staff numbers had grown to approximately 55. To support this expansion, the HR and administrative teams were strengthened, and a Marketing Manager was appointed as the marketing team expanded significantly. The Conference team also grew in tandem with increasing event activities.

Several new functions and roles were introduced, including:

• Establishment of the English Editing Department;

• Introduction of the Indexing Control Specialist role;

• Launch of the Scientific Editor role;

• Appointment of the first IOAP Manager.

2024 was a landmark year for engagement and outreach. Across the APAC region, the Singapore office conducted a total of 334 scholar visits, comprising 250 in-person meetings and 84 online meetings. This represented a 107% increase from 2023, underscoring the office’s growing regional presence and commitment to strengthening relationships with the research community.

The Institutional Open Access Program (IOAP) network broadened with new agreements signed with:

• Multimedia University (Malaysia);

• Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University (Saudi Arabia).

Institutional engagement was further deepened through the first academic publishing workshop conducted at Singapore Management University. The office also hosted its inaugural Scholars Appreciation Dinner and organised an Open Access Week event at Marina Bay Sands, reinforcing its commitment to advancing open access and fostering community connections.

On the conference front, the Singapore team successfully organised its first major international events:

• The 1st International Conference on AI Sensors;

• The 10th International Symposium on Sensor Science.

These conferences welcomed over 400 attendees in total, marking MDPI Singapore’s strong entry into the regional conference landscape.

In 2025, the office reached a new milestone of 70 staff members, reflecting sustained growth and expanding regional influence.

Several key developments strengthened the office’s leadership and internal capabilities:

• Election of a new Office Editorial Director (OED);

• Expansion of the English Editing team to 16 members, with a new Group Leader;

• HR Manager hired to support staff welfare;

• Growth of the Scientific Editor team;

• Expansion of JRS roles to four (two regional and two journal-based), with a Regional JRS Head appointed.

Outreach efforts increased significantly this year. The Singapore office conducted 334 offline scholar visits and 668 online meetings, demonstrating a strong hybrid engagement model and an increasingly digital-forward approach to scholar and institutional support.

The IOAP network expanded across the region with agreements including:

• Manipal Academy of Higher Education (India);

• University of Hafr Al-Batin (Saudi Arabia);

• Macquarie University (Australia);

• Monash University (Australia);

• Southern Cross University (Australia);

• Arabian Gulf University (Bahrain).

In addition, the office organised 10 in-person academic publishing workshops and 2 online sessions, attracting a total of 249 attendees. These initiatives further strengthened direct engagement with the research community and reinforced MDPI Singapore’s role as a key regional partner in scholarly publishing.