Institute of Physics
The Institute of Physics is the chartered learned society and professional body for physics in the UK and Ireland, serving 21,000 members through chartership, awards, and policy advocacy, while operating IOP Publishing — a wholly-owned subsidiary publishing 100+ journals, 36,000 peer-reviewed articles annually, and Physics World magazine globally.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1874
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Institute of Physics does
The Institute of Physics (IOP) is a registered charity and learned society operating as the professional body for physics in the UK and Ireland since 1874. It functions through three integrated activity streams: a membership organization serving 21,000 members via annual subscriptions, professional registration (chartership and fellowship), 50+ special interest groups, the IOP Accelerator workspace in King's Cross, and a portfolio of awards including the qBIG Prize, Business Awards, and the Isaac Newton Medal; an advocacy and education arm that engages UK and Irish government on physics policy, runs teacher training scholarships, the Bell Burnell Graduate Scholarship Fund, and Public Engagement Grants; and a wholly-owned publishing subsidiary, IOP Publishing (IOPP), which publishes more than 100 journals, approximately 100 books annually, conference proceedings, and Physics World magazine, accounting for roughly 36,000 peer-reviewed articles per year across global offices in London, Bristol, Beijing, Philadelphia, and Tokyo.
IOP Publishing is the economic engine of the organization, generating net income that covers approximately 85% of IOP's annual operating costs and subsidizing the charity's mission-oriented activities. Revenue is generated through journal subscriptions, open-access article processing charges (with nearly half of published articles now open access since pioneering that model in 1998 via New Journal of Physics), book sales, and event/conference revenues. Customer segments span four primary constituencies: individual physicists, physics-powered businesses (startups to multinationals), physics teachers, and the international physics community across Europe, Africa, and Asia. Distribution combines direct membership enrollment via iop.org with global academic publishing platforms and physical events.
Recent strategic positioning emphasizes AI-enabled research integrity (the May 2026 Duplicate Review Checker AI tool), vertical expansion into quantum technology through the qBIG Group and partnerships with Quantum Exponential, and international scientific diplomacy via cooperation agreements with bodies such as the Physical Society of Hong Kong and the Slovak Academy of Sciences. Governance is provided by a Council of 18 elected trustees under Royal Charter (1970), with subsidiary structures spanning publishing operations in the UK, US, China, and India. Despite its registered charity status rather than standard for-profit orientation, IOP operates a hybrid commercial-nonprofit model centered on the captive publishing subsidiary.
Institute of Physics firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Institute of Physics
- Legal name
- Institute of Physics
- Website
- https://iop.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1874
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- The Institute of Physics is the chartered learned society and professional body for physics in the UK and Ireland, serving 21,000 members through chartership, awards, and policy advocacy, while operating IOP Publishing — a wholly-owned subsidiary publishing 100+ journals, 36,000 peer-reviewed articles annually, and Physics World magazine globally.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Institute of Physics industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Scientific Publishing and Professional Membership Services
- NAICS
- Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169), Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416)
- SIC
- Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Scientific & Laboratory Reference (Chemistry, Biology, Physics; Methods & Protocols) (EDAGAGAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Digital Library & Electronic Resources Operations (e-Resources, Repositories, Licensing) (EDAEAGAF), Industry-Specific Technical & Certification Prep (e.g., Construction, Manufacturing, Energy) (EDAGANAN)
Keywords
Where Institute of Physics is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices5 records
Markets served
Institute of Physics business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Scientific Publishing: IOP Publishing publishes more than 100 journals, around 100 books annually, conference proceedings and magazines including Physics World. Nearly half of 36,000 peer-reviewed articles published annually are open access.
- Membership Subscriptions: Annual membership fees from 21,000 members across UK and Ireland, providing access to professional development, networking, awards, and IOP resources.
- Events and Conferences: Revenue from conferences, summer schools, and professional events including the Superconductivity Summer School and various physics community events.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Membership and registration fees for professional physicists, researchers, teachers, students, and businesses |
| Subscription | Annual | Teacher Training Scholarships providing tax-free funding for trainee physics teachers |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Institute of Physics product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Institute of Physics (IOP) operates as the professional body and learned society for physics in the UK and Ireland. Its core offerings include professional membership with chartership and fellowship, scientific publishing through wholly-owned subsidiary IOP Publishing (100+ journals, ~100 books annually, Physics World magazine), education and teacher training support, business innovation programmes (IOP Accelerator, BIG/qBIG Groups), awards and grants (Bell Burnell Graduate Scholarship, Public Engagement Grants), and policy advocacy for the physics community.
Product overview
The Institute of Physics operates primarily as a professional body and learned society for physics in the UK and Ireland, with its main commercial operation being IOP Publishing (IOPP) - a subsidiary publishing over 100 journals, 100 books annually, and Physics World magazine. The organization supports physics-powered businesses through the IOP Accelerator workspace program and the Business Innovation and Growth (BIG) Group. Its portfolio of awards includes Business Awards and the quantum-focused qBIG Prize. Educational support is provided through Teacher Training Scholarships, the Bell Burnell Graduate Scholarship Fund for underrepresented groups, and Public Engagement Grants. IOP Publishing operates independently with offices in Beijing, Bristol, Philadelphia and Tokyo, publishing nearly half its journal articles open access and covering approximately 85% of IOP's annual operating costs.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Physics World: Magazine published by IOP Publishing serving the global physics community
- Limit Less
- IOP Accelerator
- Business Innovation and Growth (BIG) Group
- qBIG (quantum Business Innovation and Growth)
Products and services
- IOP Publishing (IOPP)
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 2.7 million UK workers in physics-powered industries contributing to economy
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Institute of Physics
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Institute of Physics technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability2 records
Feature1 record
Institute of Physics partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- EqualEngineerscorePartnership to support STEM inclusion and prioritize instil inclusion throughout the physics sector. Aims to bring gender equality front and centre of engineering in physics.
- Women's Engineering SocietycorePartnership to bring gender equality front and centre of engineering in physics. Collaborative effort to support women in engineering professions.
- Physical Society of Hong KongcoreCooperation agreement signed during visit to China to strengthen IOP and IOPP ties with the scientific community. Part of ongoing international collaboration efforts.
- Quantum ExponentialcoreCollaboration to support early-stage quantum businesses, strengthen investment pathways and reinforce UK leadership in quantum innovation. Partnership supports the growing quantum technology start-up ecosystem.
- International Roundtable (12 National Physical Societies)coreInitiative launched in response to COVID-19 pandemic, uniting 12 national physical societies from USA, China, India, Japan, and European nations. Produces joint statements on global challenges including The Role of Physics in the Green Economy (2021) and Principles and Policies for International Scientific Collaboration (2023).
- European Physical SocietycoreIOP is a member of EPS, enabling representation of UK and Ireland in discussions about cross-European research and funding policy.
- International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP)coreIOP is involved in IUPAP working groups supporting collaboration and cooperation between physicists worldwide, including supporting emerging economies.
- Young Scientist KenyaminorIOP has been a proud sponsor since 2018. Program inspires innovation and discovery in young people, supporting education and skills development in Kenya.
- Young Scientist TanzaniaminorIOP has been a proud sponsor since 2017. Program fosters scientific inquiry and innovation among secondary school students in Tanzania.
- Slovak Academy of Sciences (Institute of Physics)corePartnership in Slovakia's first national quantum communication network via IonQ. The system features Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) and post-quantum cryptography, part of European Quantum Communication Infrastructure initiative.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Institute of Physics competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Institute of Physics social profiles
Digital presenceInstitute of Physics financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Institute of Physics leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles13 records
Institute of Physics subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries6 records
Institute of Physics funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Institute of Physics M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Institute of Physics
What does Institute of Physics do?
The Institute of Physics (IOP) operates as the professional body and learned society for physics in the UK and Ireland. Its core offerings include professional membership with chartership and fellowship, scientific publishing through wholly-owned subsidiary IOP Publishing (100+ journals, ~100 books annually, Physics World magazine), education and teacher training support, business innovation programmes (IOP Accelerator, BIG/qBIG Groups), awards and grants (Bell Burnell Graduate Scholarship, Public Engagement Grants), and policy advocacy for the physics community.
Is Institute of Physics a public or private company?
Institute of Physics is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Institute of Physics founded?
Institute of Physics was founded in 1874. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Institute of Physics based?
Institute of Physics is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Institute of Physics make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Scientific Publishing is the primary driver. The others are membership Subscriptions and events and Conferences.
Does Institute of Physics have an API?
No public API is recorded for Institute of Physics.
What industry is Institute of Physics in?
Institute of Physics's product category is Scientific Publishing and Professional Membership Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAGAGAG, Scientific & Laboratory Reference (Chemistry, Biology, Physics; Methods & Protocols), with a secondary code of EDAEAGAF, Digital Library & Electronic Resources Operations (e-Resources, Repositories, Licensing). Its NAICS code is 54169 and its SIC code is 8731.