Brill, the leading international academic publisher in the Humanities, Social Sciences, International Law, and
Biology announces today that it has reached agreement with the shareholders of Wageningen Academic Publishers
B.V. (WAP) to acquire all shares in the business. WAP is a cutting-edge, international academic publisher in the
fields of Animal Science, Food and Health Science, Agriculture, Environment and Agribusiness. It publishes
scientific journals, books and conference proceedings, many of which in Open Access. The total revenue of WAP
amounted to approx. EUR 1m in 2021.
The acquisition of WAP strengthens Brill’s quality 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.
