Plan S, the European Union’s initiative to make full and immediate Open Access a reality, argues that having paywalls to accessing research “hinders the scientific enterprise in its very foundations and hampers its uptake by society”. Uptake by society includes the private sector, as businesses and industries have always turned to scientific findings to innovate and refine their output, or even deliver innovations from science on a large scale.

Ensuring Open Access enables industries to benefit from cutting-edge discoveries, especially those with less financial resources, i.e., smaller enterprises or those located in low- and middle-income countries.

In this article, we outline the importance of research for the private sector and how Open Access can empower business and industry.

Importance of scientific research for business

Entities in the private sector need to make evidence-based decisions to avoid risk. Research is vital for finding solutions, setting priorities, and guiding investments. This is especially true as economies and technologies become increasingly complex; information must be based on facts and empirical evidence.

Andrew Stephen, Deputy Dean for Faculty and Research, L’Oreal Professor of Marketing and Director of the Oxford Future of Marketing Initiative, explains:

The world needs science more than ever. This is very true in the business community. In a sea of uncertainty, a reliable beacon of information is the scientific community.

Research impacts the private sector through what is known as ‘knowledge spillovers’, namely, when ideas, technology, or expertise transfers from one place to another, such as from universities to businesses.

Knowledge spillovers enable companies to absorb ideas from elsewhere and turn them into marketable products and services.

Consequently, there is a synergy between research and private sectors and together they can stimulate economic growth.

Resource challenges

Businesses in low- and middle-income countries and even newer or smaller ones in high-income countries often face shortages of resources.

To be powered by research, you need access. Subscription fees for academic journals have grown at a much faster rate than inflation. This makes them cost prohibitive for many.

If accessing and engaging with research can stimulate economic growth, then restricting access may negatively impact innovation and societal benefits.

For example, applying the findings from scientific research in developing electric vehicles or new treatments for diseases can have real-world impacts on the environment and health, therefore saving lives.

Open Access can boost the private sector

A review conducted by the Royal Society in 2025 explored the economic impact of open science. It explores:

[The] premise that the creation of new knowledge ultimately drives economic growth, while openness fosters a positive feedback loop: the more knowledge is openly accessible, the greater its potential to facilitate the generation of further knowledge.

Therefore, open science holds transformative potential for economic development, as it can lead to:

1. Acceleration of the pace of discovery and application.
2. Collaboration across disciplines and sectors.

This is highly important given that Open Access can reach those in areas restricted by lack of resources. Unrestricted knowledge sharing, therefore, is a way to ensure that anyone can benefit from research results.

Measuring the power of open science

There are metrics that seek to measure how research is engaged with. Altmetric leverage real-time, online engagement to highlight how research circulates and is understood across digital environments.

Altmetric operate at an article level, providing a comprehensive account of attention gained across social media platforms, policy documents, downloads, news, and blogs. Such diffusion can actively influence decision-making and policy changes, as high-quality research gets visibility in various outlets.

You can see the Altmetric Attention Scores for every MDPI article by looking in the top-right corner of the page when viewing an article. Click here to learn more about How to Use Altmetric data.

Ensuring research results are openly accessible

Research is vital in the private sector, as it enables evidence-based decisions and allows for the application of research results.

Ensuring there are no restrictions to accessing knowledge enables industries to benefit from research findings, especially those with less financial resources.

MDPI is committed to advancing open science and ensuring research results are available to anyone, anywhere. All articles published by MDPI are made immediately available worldwide under an Open Access license. This applies to the more than 500 journals in MDPI’s portfolio, which cover diverse disciplines and fields.

We’re dedicated to giving you all the information you need to understand Open Access. Our article All You Need to Know About Open Access covers a range of topics.