19 April 2022
The acquisition of Wageningen Academic Publishers strengthens Brill’s Biology program and creates a springboard to further develop in this fast growing and well-funded segment of the academic market. In addition, Brill’s mission to be relevant in areas of scholarship vital for addressing today's global challenges is further reinforced with key publications in areas such as Agriculture and Environment.
“Wageningen Academic Publishers is an excellently led international Biology and Agricultural Sciences publisher with a strong program in highly attractive fields of research,” says Brill’s CEO Peter Coebergh. “For Brill, this acquisition provides a great opportunity to further extend its reach into the Sciences that connect well with typical Brill subjects such as International Climate Law and Environmental Law, and to develop its portfolio from there.” CPO Jasmin Lange adds: “The strong uptake of Open Access in this area of research and the extensive experience with Open Access models that WAP has built up, provides Brill with additional tools to further develop its Open Access propositions.”
Enrico Kunst and Mike Jacobs, former shareholders and managing directors of WAP, comment: “Being part of the Brill family will help to further develop the journal and book programs of the Wageningen Academic Publishers brand. It offers a great opportunity to current and future titles.”
The acquisition of WAP is expected to positively contribute to Brill’s underlying EBITDA and underlying Earnings Per Share (EPS) as of 2022. The transaction will be financed with cash and an acquisition facility provided by Rabobank NL. The acquisition will be effective as of April 15, 2022 and WAP’s results will be included in the consolidated figures of the Brill Group as of that date.