BIBF announces new Academic publishing conference and hub

The Beijing International Book Fair (BIBF), 18-22 June 2025, will see a growing focus on academic publishing with two conferences (PubTech Conference and STM Conference) taking place on 16 June and 17 June before the BIBF fair opens.Over 200 global libraries and research institutions will attend BIBF, organised by the China National Publications Import and Export (Group) Co., Ltd., alongside a growing list of international exhibitors from 80 countries (up from 71 in 2024).

BIBF also anticipates record international participation at its 31st edition, with over 1,700 exhibitors from countries and organisations worldwide. The fair will open amid optimism in Chinese publishing as OpenBook reported double digit growth in the Chinese trade book market (OpenBook Q1) and expansion in Chinese academic and digital publishing sectors. Chinese authors are increasingly breaking international readership (led by Liu Cixin’s The Three Body Problem) and international authors are seeing success in China, particularly in children’s publishing where two international authors were included in the list of top 10 bestselling Children’s authors in 2024, Christian Jolibois (France) and Erin Hunter (UK).

Bangladesh, Chile, Croatia, Belarus, Oman, Ethiopia, Kenya and Jamaica will make their debut at BIBF, joining national and regional stands from across the globe — including the UK, USA, France, Germany, Japan, Italy, Greece, Romania, Iran, the UAE (Abu Dhabi), Malaysia, Azerbaijan, Russia and Saudi Arabia.

Lei Jianhua, Director of the BIBF, Vice President of CNPIEC, said, “We are expanding the PubTech Conference and launching the inaugural STM APAC conference in partnership with the STM Association, launching a new focus area on Academic and Digital publishing with 200 global libraries and research institutions represented. We hope to foster international discussion and cooperation around academic digital content.”