STM Innovator Fair 2025 | Calling Innovators

Seeking trailblazers and pioneers

We’re looking for innovators — start-ups and established companies alike — developing fresh solutions to transform scholarly communications. Whether your focus is research integrity or another critical challenge in the field, we want to hear from you. 

What’s this about? At STM, we champion the technologists, start-ups, and companies advancing trusted research. Every year, in December, we gather to celebrate the changemakers using technology and innovation to strengthen scholarly communication — and to better serve the academic community. This is the STM Innovator Fair, being held at the BMA House in London on 9 December, 2025. 

Here, selected innovators present their concepts to a dynamic audience of STM members: publishers, societies, university presses, and other industry leaders. The Fair will also showcase the Vesalius Innovation Award ceremony, organized by Karger Publishers. 

This year’s theme is Building tomorrow’s research integrity framework. We’ll spotlight technologies and methodologies that create a stronger foundation to uphold integrity in research — while also welcoming innovations that contribute more broadly to advancing trusted research. 

Why should I apply?

Selected innovators have the ability to: 

  • Meet and network with the innovation leaders and decision makers in the STM industry 
  • Get stage time: present your concept on stage in brief, lightning talks 
  • Showcase your work via a table-top booth plus a poster to present your innovation, give demos and enjoy in-depth conversations 
  • Engage in quality conversations with pre-scheduled meetings with STM members and attendees 
  • Celebrate fellow innovators and Vesalius award winners 

Process at-a-glance

  • Presenters are invited to submit their innovation to STM via the form below by September 30, 2025  
  • STM will review submissions and select presenters to participate at the STM Innovator Fair by October 11. 
  • On October 13, STM will announce the participating organisations and invite conference delegates to pre-schedule one-on-one meetings with presenters 
  • On December 9, during the Innovator Fair, presenters will pitch their concepts to attendees (academic publishers, societies, universities, and other start-ups) at the BMA House in London — with ample opportunities to connect with conference delegates and fellow innovators at the interactive fair. 
  • You will also experience the prestigious Vesalius Innovation Award ceremony as part of the day’s programme. 

How to participate 

  • Please submit your solution concept in the form below by September 30, 2025 
  • If your concept is approved, you will be alerted by STM by October 13 — and a fee of €150 will be required to participate. 

Pitch your innovation!

STM Innovator Pitch Submission Form 2025 (#32)

Selection Criteria

STM will review submissions and select presenters based on the following criteria: 

  • Impact — potential reach and impact in advancing trusted research and scholarly communication innovations. 
  • Scope – We welcome proposals across all areas of scholarly communication, with a special emphasis on innovations in research integrity 
  • The creativity of concept — bold, innovative ideation 
  • Adaptability — potential for the concept to be integrated by academic publishers and relevant stakeholders 
  • Novelty — we will prioritize concepts that have not been presented in earlier editions of the STM Innovation Fair. 

Please note: STM will review submissions and will make selections based on its own discretion using the criteria above. Explanations are not owed to submitters. 

Back to the Innovator Fair landing page.