RELX
A global provider of professional information, analytics, decision tools and exhibitions.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
RELX plc is a British multinational information and analytics company headquartered in London. It supplies professional customers with data, research content, software and decision-support tools across scientific, technical and medical information; legal information and analytics; risk and business intelligence; and exhibitions and events. The group operates through internationally recognized businesses including Elsevier, LexisNexis, LexisNexis Risk Solutions, Accuity, Cirium and RX. The company was created in 1993 through the combination of Reed International, a British publishing and printing group, and Elsevier, a Netherlands-based scientific publisher. The merger joined Reed’s trade, business and consumer publishing interests with Elsevier’s scientific, technical and medical publishing operations. The combined company was initially known as Reed Elsevier. In February 2015 it adopted the shorter RELX name, reflecting a strategic shift away from a traditional publishing identity toward digital information, analytics and professional workflow services. RELX’s scientific, technical and medical business operates primarily under the Elsevier name. Its products include ScienceDirect, a platform for research literature; Scopus, an abstract and citation database; Mendeley, a research-management and collaboration service; and major journals such as The Lancet and Cell. The division serves researchers, universities, healthcare institutions, governments and corporate research organizations. Its revenues increasingly come from electronic products, subscriptions, analytical tools and workflow solutions rather than printed journals alone. The legal business operates under LexisNexis Legal & Professional. It provides legal research, case and regulatory information, practice-management tools and related professional services to law firms, courts, governments, corporations and universities. LexisNexis Risk Solutions supplies identity, fraud, insurance, credit, public-sector and financial-crime analytics. Accuity provides payment-routing, know-your-customer and sanctions-screening data and software for financial institutions. Cirium delivers aviation data and analytics for airlines, airports, aircraft manufacturers, financiers and travel businesses. The exhibitions division, known as RX since 2021, organizes trade shows and business events around the world. Its ReedPop unit has operated popular-culture events such as New York Comic Con and PAX. RELX has progressively divested many traditional print and advertising-led magazine activities, concentrating capital on recurring digital information, analytics, data and event businesses. This transformation reduced the group’s dependence on print advertising and made its operating model more closely associated with professional subscriptions and technology-enabled services. RELX is listed in London, Amsterdam and New York and is included in major market indices including the FTSE 100. It remains active internationally, with businesses serving science, healthcare, law, finance, insurance, government, aviation, business and event customers.
History
RELX has roots in two publishing histories. Reed began in 1895, when Albert E. Reed established a newsprint operation at Tovil Mill in Kent. Reed later expanded beyond paper manufacturing, becoming a diversified group and acquiring publishing, trade-journal and magazine businesses. In 1970, Reed Group merged with the International Publishing Corporation and became Reed International. Its 1977 acquisition of Cahners Publishing expanded its presence in United States trade media. During the 1980s Reed rationalized its portfolio, selling paint, wallpaper, paper and packaging interests and focusing more heavily on publishing and information. Elsevier’s origins date to 1880, when Jacobus George Robbers founded a Dutch publishing company named after the historic Elzevir printing family. The company published literary works and the Winkler Prins encyclopedia before developing a stronger scientific and professional orientation. Elsevier expanded internationally after the Second World War, establishing operations in the United States and publishing offices in London and New York. Its scientific publishing activities were consolidated through a series of transactions, and in 1991 Elsevier acquired Pergamon Press, strengthening its position in academic and scientific journals. Reed International and Elsevier merged in 1993, forming Reed Elsevier. The combination created a major international publisher with activities in scientific, technical, medical, legal, trade and business information. In the years that followed, the company sold or closed many consumer and trade publishing assets. It divested its trade publishing group to Random House in 1997 and sold major educational publishing operations, including Harcourt businesses, to Pearson and Houghton Mifflin in 2007. The group also progressively exited many North American trade magazines and other advertising-dependent titles. This portfolio reshaping accelerated the company’s digital transformation. Scientific publishing moved toward online platforms such as ScienceDirect and Scopus. Legal publishing developed into electronic research and workflow services through LexisNexis. Risk businesses expanded into identity, fraud, insurance and financial-crime analytics. Aviation information evolved under Cirium, while exhibitions remained a substantial international activity through RX. From 2006 to 2019, Reed Business Information and related units sold numerous print business-to-business titles. Print’s contribution to revenue declined sharply as the group emphasized subscription information, data products, software and analytics. In 2015 the corporate name changed from Reed Elsevier to RELX Group, and later the company generally used RELX as its public identity. The exhibitions business changed from Reed Exhibitions to RX in 2021. RELX has also faced criticism. Elsevier has been challenged over journal pricing, publishing practices and support for proposed United States copyright legislation. The Cost of Knowledge boycott, launched in 2012, encouraged researchers to reject Elsevier journals and editorial participation. The group has additionally been connected through a former subsidiary to mercury contamination associated with the Dryden mill in Ontario, a legacy environmental issue that continued to affect Grassy Narrows First Nation. These controversies coexist with RELX’s continuing expansion as a provider of digital professional information and analytical services.
- 2024
Gamer Network divested
[1]RX sold Gamer Network to IGN Entertainment while retaining EGX and Popverse.
- 2021
Reed Exhibitions becomes RX
[1]The exhibitions business adopted the shorter RX name.
- 2015
Corporate rebrand to RELX
[1]Reed Elsevier adopted RELX Group as its corporate name, signaling its digital information and analytics strategy.
- 2007
Harcourt education assets sold
[1]The group agreed transactions transferring major Harcourt education businesses to Pearson and Houghton Mifflin.
- 1997
Trade publishing group divested
[1]Reed Elsevier sold a substantial trade-book publishing portfolio to Random House.
- 1993
Reed Elsevier created
[1]Reed International and Elsevier merged to form the combined international information and publishing group.
- 1991
Elsevier acquires Pergamon Press
[1]The transaction strengthened Elsevier’s scientific and academic publishing position.
- 1977
Acquisition of Cahners Publishing
[1]Reed International acquired a major United States trade and business magazine publisher.
- 1970
Reed merges with International Publishing Corporation
[1]The merger created Reed International and expanded the group’s publishing portfolio.
- 1895
Reed newsprint business established
[1]Albert E. Reed founded the newsprint operation that later developed into Reed International.
Products and positioning
Premium, data-rich information and analytics infrastructure for professional and institutional decision-making.
Scientific, technical and medical information
Elsevier
RELX’s scientific, technical and medical information business publishes journals, books and digital research content for universities, laboratories, healthcare organizations, governments and companies. Its portfolio includes internationally prominent journals and increasingly integrates analytical and workflow services.
Research database
ScienceDirect
ScienceDirect is Elsevier’s online platform for accessing scientific, technical and medical literature. It provides full-text research content and supports institutional and professional users in discovering and using primary research.
Bibliographic and citation database
Scopus
Scopus indexes abstracts and citations from academic publications and is used for literature discovery, research evaluation, bibliometric analysis and institutional performance work.
Research-management software
Mendeley
Mendeley provides tools for organizing, sharing and discovering research papers and data, with collaboration functions for researchers and academic teams.
Legal information and analytics
LexisNexis
LexisNexis supplies legal research, case-law, legislation, regulatory and news information together with professional tools for lawyers, courts, governments, corporations and universities.
Risk analytics
LexisNexis Risk Solutions
This business combines identity, public-record, fraud, insurance, credit and compliance data with analytical tools used by financial institutions, insurers, government agencies and other organizations.
Financial-crime compliance
Accuity
Accuity provides financial institutions with payment-routing information, bank data, customer-screening tools and sanctions and anti-money-laundering compliance services.
Aviation data and analytics
Cirium
Cirium provides aviation schedules, fleet, flight, market and operational data for airlines, airports, aircraft manufacturers, financiers, insurers and travel businesses.
Exhibitions and events · 2021
RX
RX organizes international trade exhibitions and business events across multiple industries. Its portfolio serves exhibitors and professional visitors and includes sector-specific events in many countries.
Popular-culture events
ReedPop
ReedPop is RX’s popular-culture events business, associated with conventions including New York Comic Con and PAX, as well as related digital and community activities.
Controversies
2012
Academic journal pricing and publishing boycott
Elsevier faced sustained criticism from researchers over journal prices, publishing practices and support for proposed United States copyright legislation. The Cost of Knowledge campaign encouraged academics to boycott its journals.
1962
Grassy Narrows mercury contamination legacy
A former Reed-related subsidiary operated the Dryden mill during the period when mercury contamination affected Ontario’s Wabigoon River and Grassy Narrows First Nation. Reed sold the mill in 1980, but the environmental and community consequences continued afterward.
Marketing campaigns
- 2020RELX Environmental Challenge
Global
RELX’s environmental initiative awarded grants to projects intended to improve access to safe water and sanitation.
Outcome. The challenge supported water and sanitation projects as part of the group’s sustainability and social-impact work.
- 2016Elsevier Foundation diversity and developing-world research commitments
Global
The Elsevier Foundation committed annual funding to programs supporting diversity in science, technology and medicine and research capacity in developing countries.
Outcome. The program formed part of the foundation’s continuing social-impact activity.
- 2012The Cost of Knowledge boycott
Global academic and research community
Researchers organized a public boycott of Elsevier journals and related editorial activities, citing journal pricing, publishing policies and opposition to proposed copyright legislation.
Outcome. The boycott remained an influential academic protest and continued to attract signatories for many years.
Brand decisions
2024
Sale of Gamer NetworkM&ABackground
RELX’s RX division reviewed its portfolio of gaming and popular-culture media assets.
Action taken
RX sold Gamer Network to IGN Entertainment, a Ziff Davis division.
Aftermath
RELX retained the EGX convention and Popverse activities.
2021
Rename Reed Exhibitions as RXStrategyBackground
The exhibitions division was being positioned as a modern global events and business platform rather than solely as a traditional Reed-branded operation.
Action taken
Reed Exhibitions adopted the RX name.
Aftermath
The business continued operating international exhibitions and events under the RX identity.
2021
Renewal of University of California Elsevier agreementOtherBackground
The university system had ended its subscription relationship in 2019 after disputes over subscription costs and open-access publishing.
Action taken
Following further negotiations, UC renewed its agreement with Elsevier with universal open access for UC research and changes intended to contain costs.
Aftermath
The agreement ended the immediate subscription standoff while maintaining debate over academic publishing prices and access models.
2019
Large-scale print portfolio reductionStrategyBackground
Advertising-led trade magazines had become less central to the group as digital professional information and analytics expanded.
Action taken
Across numerous transactions between 2006 and 2019, the group sold or closed hundreds of print business-to-business magazine titles.
Aftermath
Print revenue became a much smaller part of the business and advertising declined to a minor share of sales.
2015
Rebrand from Reed Elsevier to RELXStrategyBackground
The group had been moving from print publishing and advertising toward digital information, analytics and professional workflow products.
Action taken
It adopted RELX Group as its corporate name and presented the shorter RELX identity as a better reflection of its diversified businesses.
Aftermath
The company continued emphasizing recurring digital information, analytics, risk and legal services while reducing its print exposure.
Recent events
- 2025
RELX incorporates identity-document technology through IDVerse acquisition[3]
M&A
RELX acquired IDVerse after testing and integrating its technology into fraud-prevention products, expanding automated identity-document verification capabilities.
- 2024
RELX sells Gamer Network to IGN Entertainment[1]
M&A
RX sold Gamer Network to IGN Entertainment while retaining the EGX convention and Popverse activities.
- 2024
RELX continues portfolio reshaping toward analytics and decision tools[4]
M&A
Secondary historical material describes a year of small acquisitions and disposals intended to refine the portfolio while maintaining the long-term shift from print and lower-growth information products toward digital analytics.
- 2021
University of California renews Elsevier agreement[1]
Other · Pricing
After further negotiations, the university renewed its relationship with Elsevier under an agreement incorporating universal open access for UC research and changes to subscription costs.
- 2020
RELX reports continued shift toward digital information and analytics[5]
Other
Company reporting described continued investment in digital products, analytics, acquisitions and shareholder returns across its four market segments.
- 2019
University of California ends Elsevier subscription negotiations[1]
Pricing · Other
The University of California announced that it would terminate its Elsevier subscriptions after negotiations over pricing and open-access publishing failed.
- 2018
RELX simplifies its corporate structure and adopts the RELX identity[6]
Other
The group implemented a corporate reorganization involving RELX PLC and RELX N.V., supporting a unified listed-company structure and the use of the RELX name.
- 2018
RELX acquires ThreatMetrix[7]
M&A
The acquisition added digital identity, authentication and fraud-prevention capabilities to LexisNexis Risk Solutions.
- 2015
Reed Elsevier changes its name to RELX Group[1]
Other
The group adopted RELX as its corporate identity after a long transition from print publishing toward digital information and analytics.
Sources11 sources
- 1RELXen.wikipedia.org
- 2RELX corporate websiterelx.com
- 3RELX incorporates identity-document technology through IDVerse acquisitionstories.relx.com
- 4RELX continues portfolio reshaping toward analytics and decision toolspestel-analysis.com
- 5RELX reports continued shift toward digital information and analyticssec.gov
- 6RELX simplifies its corporate structure and adopts the RELX identitysec.gov
- 7RELX acquires ThreatMetrixrelx.com
- 8雾芯发布2020年Q4财报 线下布局使营收与成本双增加finance.sina.com.cn
- 9雾芯科技公布第四季度财报：净营收16.2亿元，环比增长44.5%finance.sina.com.cn
- 10Chinese e-cig startup Relx launches flagship shops · TechNodetechnode.com
- 11RELX Introduces World's First Locked Vaping Device to Cut Minors from Vapingnewswire.ca
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