Deanta: Trends in Academic Publishing 2026

While a significant majority of academic publishers aspire to modernization of their operations and workflows, most report being blocked by entrenched workflows and legacy technologies. This year's Trends survey reveals a critical gap between ambition and execution. Through research into 1) strategic outcomes, 2) operational processes, and 3) organizational people & culture, we examine what's driving modernization priorities, why implementation remains elusive, and trace the evolving attitudes toward AI adoption across the industry. The data reveals how forward-thinking publishers are actively shaping rather than passively responding to industry transformation. How publishers react now will determine their competitive positioning in an increasingly complex publishing landscape.