The Max Planck Society has signed a new, all-inclusive 5-year Open Access (OA) agreement with Portland Press, the publishing subsidiary of the Biochemical Society. Negotiated by the Max Planck Digital Library (MPDL) on behalf of the Society's 85 institutes, the agreement covers five journals—four subscription based, and one fully OA title—starting January 2026.

The agreement preserves both parties’ objectives to drive forward OA publishing sustainably and equitably. Extending a partnership that has thrived for 5 years through a Read & Publish transitional phase, the Max Planck Society maintains its commitment to publishing initiatives that demonstrate progress and innovation.

The Biochemical Society committed to, and delivered, the original Plan S goals of achieving OA by 2025. The final step towards 100% OA publishing came with the adoption of Subscribe to Open (S2O). All 2025 volumes of four subscription journals were published fully OA, based on the collective action of its subscriber base. S2O is a model that enables OA on a conditional basis if subscription renewal threshold levels are met. MPDL opted to take the enhanced, premium OA offer which confers additional benefits. MPDL will continue to receive full OA reporting, and its scholars will enjoy guaranteed OA publishing in subscription journals (regardless of S2O status) and full access to the archives.

Professor Nigel Hooper, Chair of Portland Press said:

“Working with consortium partners such as MPDL has been the engine of our open access transition. We are delighted to travel the next phase of our open access journey beyond Read & Publish with such an important partner as MPDL.”

Ádám Dér, Head of the Scientific Information Provision at the MPDL, remarks:

“This agreement reflects our ongoing commitment to supporting our researchers with the best possible access and publishing options. We're happy to continue working with Portland Press on models that align with the Max Planck Society's principles and contribute to the advancement of open access globally.”