RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS REPORT 2018 Knowledge. Partnership. Innovation. Working together to solve the world’s biggest challenges. CONTENTS 1 Introduction ADDRESSING GRAND DIVERSITY AND 2 About Springer Nature CHALLENGES INCLUSION PAGE 8 PAGE 10 4 Chair and CEO statements 6 Supporting the sustainable development agenda 8 Addressing grand challenges 10 Diversity and inclusion 14 Publishing robust, accessible research 20 People and partners 24 Responsibility to the environment 28 Responsibility to the community PUBLISHING ROBUST, PEOPLE AND 32 Key data ACCESSIBLE RESEARCH PARTNERS 33 How we report PAGE 14 PAGE 20 RESPONSIBILITY TO THE RESPONSIBILITY TO ENVIRONMENT THE COMMUNITY PAGE 24 PAGE 28 Responsible Business Report 20172018 1 ACCELERATING KNOWLEDGE Springer Nature is a leading global research, educational and professional publisher, home to an array of respected and trusted brands providing quality content through a range of innovative products and services. We are the world’s largest academic book publisher, publisher of the world’s most influential journals and a leader in the field of open research. Our education and professional publishing divisions are leaders in their markets, providing quality content through a range of innovative platforms, products and services. Our textbooks are used in classrooms, lecture halls and laboratories around the world. Together, as a group of companies, we want to become the trusted knowledge accelerator, advancing learning and discovery for the benefit of all, passionate about understanding the needs of our communities and making change happen – better than anyone else. RESEARCH EDUCATION PROFESSIONAL Advancing Discovery Advancing Learning Advancing Achievement Books Language learning Medicine Journals Schools curriculum Transport Databases International curriculum Engineering Magazines and services Higher education Business management Responsible Business Report 2018 2 Our business SDGs Diversity Research People and partners Environment Communities Key data Connecting ABOUT curious minds to advance SPRINGER NATURE learning and discovery As a truly global business, operating in more than 50 countries and distributing content in 180 markets, In 2018, we celebrated the 175th anniversary of Macmillan, one of Springer Nature’s 13,000 people work together our foundation companies. to serve the needs of researchers, students, teachers Coming from a humble Scottish family, and professionals around the world. David and Alexander Macmillan shared a love of reading and a belief in the We advance discovery by publishing As a leading educational and power of books to communicate ideas robust and insightful research, professional publisher, Springer Nature and to change lives. They published supporting the development of new also provides quality content through their first book, The Philosophy of areas of knowledge, responding to a range of innovative platforms, Training, in 1843, opening a bookshop the needs of the research community products and services. Our textbooks in London in the same year. and making ideas and information are used in classrooms, lecture halls accessible globally. and laboratories around the world. As the company grew, so did the two Our education experts bring together brothers’ belief in the importance of Each year we handle more than one insights from teachers and schools education and academic scholarship. million article submissions and publish and the latest educational research Alexander launched the scientific around 300,000 articles across almost to develop books, courses and research journal Nature in 1869. 3,000 journals and 13,000 books. resources for the classroom. When former British prime minister We are the largest open access research Harold Macmillan became chairman publisher – publishing around one in in 1965, he decided education should four of all open access articles globally continue to be a key area of focus – and home of the respected Nature for the organisation. This led to the portfolio of journals. Last year, our creation of Macmillan Education, content platforms were visited almost which continues its work today as part two million times a day. of Springer Nature. Accelerating knowledge for... AUTHORS LIBRARIANS LEARNERS BUSINESSES PHYSICIANS RESEARCHERS Responsible Business Report 20172018 Our business SDGs Diversity Research People and partners Environment Communities Key data 3 Advancing learning and discovery in 2018 Highlights We started publishing 35 more We celebrated the 175th birthday Springer Nature’s diversity journals including Nature of Macmillan, with events in and inclusion roadmap was Sustainability, Sustainable Earth offices and at book fairs launched by the newly appointed and the Journal for STEM around the world (read more director of diversity and Education Research. on page 2). inclusion. SN Pride, a group for members and supporters of the LGBTQ+ community at Springer SN Applied Sciences and SN Macmillan International Higher Nature, was also launched Comprehensive Clinical Medicine, Education launched its new (read more on page 12). two new interdisciplinary Red Globe Press imprint, serving journals, published their first the worldwide market for articles. Five in-house managing core adoptable textbooks editors coordinate the submission, for universities. peer-review and publication process for SN Applied Sciences, a broad-based interdisciplinary The winners of the first-ever For the first time since Springer journal, developed in response Nature Research Awards for Nature’s formation in 2015, a to the increasing volume Inspiring Science and Innovating global workforce engagement of article submissions about Science, in partnership with The survey, known as Pulse, was industry-related research. Estée Lauder Companies, were held (read more on page 21). announced in October. These global awards were created to recognise The second edition of Springer inspirational early-career women Encyclopedia of Sustainability researchers and those who have Science and Technology worked to champion women’s was published. and girls’ participation in science A new employee-run Green Office (read more on page 13). Network was created to encourage environmental responsibility and Science and the Sustainable City – action at site level around the world. part of the Springer Nature Grand More than 80 colleagues signed up Challenges programme – was to join the network, holding more held in Singapore alongside the than 20 meetings during 2018. World Cities Summit. Bringing We celebrated the 160th In London, an incentive scheme together members of academia anniversary of MMW-Fortschritte for employees resulted in a saving with others from policy and business, der Medizin, which was the first of more than 40,000 single-use the conference discussed areas medical journal in Germany cups between October and of research related to city to offer continuous medical December. design, planning and education to its readers. infrastructure development. PEER REVIEWERS GRADUATES TEACHERS POLICYMAKERS PROFESSIONALS SCIENTISTS Responsible Business Report 2018 4 Our business SDGs Diversity Research People and partners Environment Communities Key data SUSTAINABLE IMPACT Looking at the global picture today, there can be no doubt that as politics become more turbulent and polarising, the need for international businesses to make a positive impact on sustainable development has become even more important. In 2018, Springer Nature reduced its environmental footprint considerably. The diversity and inclusion programme made significant progress and new appointments to the supervisory Even though millions of the world’s poorest are lifted out board added a range of skills and experience as well as of extreme poverty every year, we are still quite a distance improving governance and the gender mix . As a board we away from becoming a world of equality. Indeed, we are are also entrusted with the long-term sustainability of the likely moving further away from it. Sound answers to these company beyond 2018 and so the future financing of Springer problems are needed especially in the light of artificial Nature was secured for the next three years. But there is intelligence and its impact on our societies. At the same time much more to highlight. This report shares our approach with the Arctic temperature exceeding its historic average to responsible business in more detail. You will read about by more than five degrees in two consecutive years and with what we do exactly to help children to learn, to support almost every continent suffering its own drought, fire or flood, professionals in their careers and to make better-informed climate change is undeniably happening at an accelerated decisions, to engage with researchers on their journey to rate. And last but not least, this year we witnessed the birth of new discoveries and to help them share their work as openly the first genetically engineered baby and with it, potentially a as possible. It tells how we always try to connect with our turning point in human history. customers and communities. In that vein, I hope you will share These grand challenges are not being solved fast enough with us any suggestions or comments about how Springer and big new questions are out there waiting for answers: Nature can further develop its responsible business actions Who do we want to be? And in what state do we want to pass to support the United Nations’ Sustainable Development on both the beauty of our planet and our wisdom to future