Elsevier Driving and Disseminating Chinese Research to the World

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Dec 05, 2013, 05:58 ET

BEIJING, December 5, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

U.K.-Sino alliance to develop China's publishing industry in support of science and technology advancement

Elsevier, a world-leading provider of scientific, technical and medical (STM) information products and services, and part of the Reed Elsevier group, announced today that it is strengthening and refocusing the scope of its long-standing relationship with China Science Publishing & Media Ltd. (CSPM) to create an international publishing platform for English-language STM journals that brings the expanding wealth of research originating from China to the world.

The announcement comes at a time when China is emerging as a major contributor to the international scientific community, being the second most prolific publisher of research articles after the United States (U.S.) and ahead of the United Kingdom (U.K.)^[^1].

"The joint venture puts Elsevier at the center of services to the burgeoning Chinese research and development (R&D) sector," said Ron Mobed, Elsevier's Chief Executive Officer, who accompanied British Prime Minister, David Cameron, as a member of a trade delegation on his recent trip to China. "China is committing major resources in R&D and is in line to surpass the UK and U.S. to become the world's largest investor in R&D. This joint venture forges a partnership that enables the creation of a publishing platform that will make the results of that investment more accessible for global researchers."

"I am delighted that Elsevier has joined me in the largest British business delegation to go to China this century," said British Prime Minister, David Cameron. "This Government's priority is to secure the economic recovery and we are determined to do all we can to help British companies to succeed in the global race. I am firmly committed to playing my part which is why I have taken more than 130 business delegates to China, including Elsevier. My aim is to open the door for them in this fast-growing market, creating opportunities for them to expand their business."

Elsevier's partnership with CSPM, China's largest STM publisher, began in 2007 as a joint-venture for books services through the joint entity, KeAi Communications (KeAi).

To provide the necessary publishing support for the rapid growth of China's academic research output in alignment with the Chinese government's push for greater science and technology development, Elsevier is refocusing its strategic relationship with CSPM by expanding the scope of KeAi's offering to include publishing services for English-language STM journals and scientific evaluation of China-based journals.

The renewed focus includes putting in place strategic resources for the creation of a high-quality international publishing platform to:

Provide publishing services for English-language STM journals in China.
Offer scientific evaluation to journals in China.

Through the new publishing services, Elsevier and CSPM are well-positioned to support China's publishing industry to achieve the following:

Improve the international standing and quality of research originating from China.
Promote research work from local scholastic community more broadly.
Boost China's academic influence and share of voice through Elsevier's editorial board membership that provides access to influential global scientific networks.

"The time is right to elevate the standard of China's academic and publishing industries and take them to the next level," said Bin Peng, Vice President of China Science Publishing & Media Ltd. "I hope KeAi will become a platform to support the globalization of English-language STM journals originating from China."

"Elsevier's heritage, strength and expertise in academic publishing has allowed us to meaningfully participate in developing world-leading publishing services that serve to elevate and amplify the wealth of China's growing scholarly research contribution to the world," said Yukun Harsono, Elsevier's Managing Director of Great China. "Our partnership with CSPM also brings publishing best practices that will further raise the profile of Chinese research and encourage greater collaboration amongst the international academic community."

Elsevier has appointed a General Manager from the U.K. to head up KeAi, effective 2014.

About Elsevier

Elsevier is a world-leading provider of scientific, technical and medical information products and services. The company works in partnership with the global science and health communities to publish more than 2,000 journals, including The Lancet and Cell, and close to 20,000 book titles, including major reference works from Mosby and Saunders. Elsevier's online solutions include ScienceDirect, Scopus, SciVal, Reaxys, ClinicalKey and Mosby's Suite, which enhance the productivity of science and health professionals, helping research and health care institutions deliver better outcomes more cost-effectively.

A global business headquartered in Amsterdam, Elsevier employs 7,000 people worldwide. The company is part of Reed Elsevier Group PLC, a world leading provider of professional information solutions in the Science, Medical, Legal and Risk and Business sectors, which is jointly owned by Reed Elsevier PLC and Reed Elsevier NV. The ticker symbols are REN (Euronext Amsterdam), REL (London Stock Exchange), RUK and ENL (New York Stock Exchange).

Media contact
Jason Chan
Director, Corporate Relations, Asia Pacific
Elsevier
+65-63490240
[email protected]

1. Scopus, data complete up to and including 2011.

SOURCE Elsevier