Thomas Telford Limited (TTL), the commercial arm of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), has sold the ICE Publishing portfolio to Emerald Publishing.
Bingley-headquartered Emerald Publishing is part of investment firm Cambridge Information Group and publishing services to researchers in various forms including journals, books, teaching cases as well as open access options.
Emerald has acquired the majority of TTL’s book catalogue – excluding New Engineering Contract (NEC) Guides – which consists of over 1,500 e-books.
NEC is a series of collaborative contracts designed to manage any project from start to finish. TTL told NCE that the NEC Guides will remain part of its core business. “The focus now will be on further developing NEC framework to continue to support projects now and in the future,” TTL said.
All 35 peer-reviewed journals and 36,000 research titles dating back to 1836 were also included in the sale.
The most downloaded e-book of ICE Publishing’s portfolio in 2022 was the ICE Manual of Geotechnical Engineering and the most downloaded paper was the Circular economy in construction: current awareness, challenges and enablers.
The ICE has also granted Emerald Publishing a licence to the ICE Publishing brand and ICE name in respect of those titles and publishing assets.
“The ICE and TTL are committed to ensuring that the institution’s name and reputation are protected as an independent voice for the civil engineering industry,” said TTL.
The deal to license the ICE Publishing brand includes a number of safeguards. The legal agreement between TTL and Emerald includes the creation of a new editorial advisory board responsible for ensuring that the new publisher upholds the standards we expect for the ICE Publishing brand.
ICE representatives will also be invited to attend virtual or in-person editorial advisory board meetings for each journal.
Recently-appointed TTL managing director Andrea Naylor said: “I am delighted that the ICE Publishing brand, known and trusted by researchers and practitioners worldwide, will now continue under the stewardship of Emerald Publishing. Our purpose is to improve lives by ensuring the world has the engineering capacity and infrastructure systems it needs to allow people and the planet to thrive.
“In selecting Emerald Publishing, we are confident that we have chosen a partner who understands and shares our values. We are excited to work with them to ensure that ICE Publishing continues to offer leading publications in the fields of civil and environmental engineering and materials science.”
Emerald Publishing CEO Vicky Williams commented: “The respective purpose and missions of the ICE and Emerald Publishing are strongly aligned, and we both understand the pressing need for research that contributes to progress on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
“Through close and ongoing collaboration with ICE we will expand the publication of new research that focuses on topics including, for example, decarbonisation, water, sanitation, clean affordable energy, harnessing data and technology for procurement, improving technical standards, and enhancing knowledge, insight and ethical understanding for researchers and practicing engineers.”
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