Science Media Centre

Name

Science Media Centre

Legal name

Science Media Centre

Website

https://sciencemediacentre.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Science Communication Services

NAICS

Public Relations Agencies (54182), Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418)

SIC

Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Healthcare & Life Sciences PR (MPAAADAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Medical Affairs Scientific Communications (MSL Support/Scientific Response) (HLAGALAF)

Keywords

• Science media relations
• Science communication
• Press office services
• Expert commentary briefings
• Media training

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Charitable funding and donations: The SMC is a UK registered charity (No. 1140827) that raises funds from organizations including universities, scientific companies, research funders, and leading science and engineering institutions. The SMC does not raise funds from the general public and only engages in corporate fundraising.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Science Media Centre is an independent UK press office for science that connects journalists with credible scientific experts. It produces rapid expert reactions to breaking science news, organises background and proactive briefings on scientific topics, and curates roundups of expert commentary. It also runs free media training events for scientists and works closely with press officers from universities and research institutions.

Product overview

The Science Media Centre is a UK-based independent press office operating as a single unified service that connects scientists with journalists and press officers. The core offering consists of expert reactions (rapid expert commentary on breaking science news), briefings (both background briefings introducing experts on scientific topics and news briefings for proactive science stories), and roundups (organized collections of expert commentary). Additional offerings include Fiona Fox's blog on science communication, and participation in the international SMC Global Network. The organization primarily serves UK national news journalists, scientists and engineers seeking media engagement opportunities, and press officers from universities and science institutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SMC Global Network: International network of Science Media Centres ensuring public access to scientific evidence globally
• Fiona Fox's Blog

Products and services

• Expert Reactions Rapid expert reactions to scientific news stories, providing journalists with immediate access to scientific expertise and commentary on breaking science news. Targeted at UK national news journalists on deadline.
• Briefings Background and news briefings on scientific topics, including introductions to experts on controversial issues like nuclear waste, nanotechnology, emerging diseases, and animal research, as well as proactive agenda-setting briefings on new scientific developments. For journalists, scientists, and press officers.
• Roundups Curated collections of expert reactions and commentary on specific scientific topics or breaking news stories, organised by date and subject area. For journalists covering science stories.
• SMC Global Network An international network of Science Media Centres ensuring the public have access to the best evidence in the news when science hits the headlines around the world. Includes SMC operations in Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Canada, Ireland, and other countries, sharing best practices and coordinating responses.
• Media Training Events Free in-person and virtual events that introduce scientists and engineers to the news media, providing guidelines and tips on media engagement and opportunities to have their voices heard on science stories. Targeted at scientists and engineers.

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SMC Global NetworkcoreOthersInternational network of Science Media Centres ensuring the public have access to the best evidence in the news when science hits the headlines around the world. Includes SMC operations in Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Canada, and other countries.
• Wellcome CollectionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe SMC thanks Wellcome Collection for use of their image library, indicating a collaborative relationship for visual assets.
• Universities and Research InstitutionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorks closely with press officers from universities, scientific companies, research funders, and leading science and engineering institutions. Core partners in facilitating science communications.
• UK National News Media OutletscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary audience for SMC services. Works mainly with science and news journalists in the UK's national news outlets to ensure accurate science coverage.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Massive Science: Science media startup that connects scientists with journalists and produces editorial content. Partial overlap with SMC's expert-matching function but focused on digital-native distribution and a smaller-scale commercial model.

Direct peers

• Science Media Centre of Canada: Canadian affiliate within the SMC Global Network offering expert reactions and media briefings to Canadian science journalists. Same operational model and shared governance philosophy as UK SMC.
• German Science Media Centre (Wissenschafts-Pressekonferenz): Long-established German science press office (founded 1977) within the SMC Global Network that runs press conferences and briefings connecting scientists with German journalists. Direct operational equivalent of UK SMC in the German market.
• The Conversation: Academic-led media outlet that publishes articles authored by academics and connects researchers with journalists. Directly comparable to SMC's mission of bridging scientists and the public via evidence-based content, though operates as a global digital publisher rather than a press office.
• Australian Science Media Centre: Australian sister organization within the SMC Global Network providing rapid expert reactions and briefings to Australian journalists on breaking science news. Operates the same press-office model as the UK SMC in a different geography.
• SciDev.Net: Not-for-profit science news and communication organization focused on the developing world, providing journalism training and news content on science. Comparable mission of improving evidence-based science communication in media, with a regional-developing-market focus.
• Futurity: Editorially independent nonprofit news service that aggregates and distributes research news from leading universities. Comparable to SMC's mission of translating academic research for public/journalist audiences, though US-based and editorial rather than press-office in form.

Broad incumbents

• EurekAlert! (AAAS): Operated by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, EurekAlert! is an established global press release distribution platform serving science journalists. Comparable to SMC's expert-curation function but at much larger scale and broader scope.
• Nature Briefing (Springer Nature): Daily and weekly science news briefings from Nature/Springer Nature that distribute curated science stories and research summaries to journalists and subscribers. Comparable in curating science for media but as a publisher-led commercial offering rather than a neutral intermediary.
• Royal Society: UK national academy of sciences that publishes reports, hosts press events, and engages on science policy. Overlaps with SMC's function of connecting scientists with media and the public, but as a much larger scientific institution rather than a dedicated press office.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/user
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/science-media-centre

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Science Media Centre