Cambridge University Press: change, challenge and opportunity.
Huge industry changes are an opportunity to examine how Cambridge University Press shares the "world’s best learning and research" says its chief executive.
In a speech given to leading library and information industry experts Peter Phillips said that being part of the University of Cambridge the CUP was “intrinsically aligned with the academic community.”
He added in his Succeeding in the Next Decade speech: “Our values and purpose are those of our university – to advance knowledge, learning and research.”
Looking back over the CUP’s almost 500 years of history he said the publisher had come into existence from great change – the invention of moveable type – and had always taken advantage of new technologies and new business models.
Its approach had seen it transform into a world-leader and to move early into digital publishing, while moving away from in-house printing in recent years.
The rate of change and diversity of the market and academic communities mean flexibility and responsiveness were critical attributes in the modern world.
“For more than four centuries we have been passionate about sharing the world’s best learning and research – elite but not elitist.
“As part of one the world’s greatest universities, that will remain our purpose. So changes for us are about how we deliver in the future rather than what or why,” concluded Mr Phillips.