Bloomsbury opens Asian office as it looks to boost academic sales

(Sharecast News) - Bloomsbury Publishing has opened its first office in Asia, the British publisher confirmed on Wednesday, as it looks to benefit from an expected boom in university students. The London-listed firm said the new Singapore office would be focused on growing academic sales, by expanding direct relationships with universities and tailoring more content towards Asian markets.

It cited data from the World Bank estimating that the number of students in higher education is set to reach 600m by 2040, up from 264m in 2023. Of that, more than 60% of global students in 2040 are expected to be in Asia.

Nigel Newton, Bloomsbury's founder and chief executive, said: "While we have sold books and digital resources in Asia for many years, having an editorial base in Singapore and tailored content will allow us to strengthen local partnerships, expand our activity in the region and capitalise on the growing student population."

As at 1000 GMT, shares in Bloomsbury were largely unchanged at 499.5p.

The Harry Potter publisher already has offices in the US, India and Australia as well as the UK.