The year 2025 marks a transformative milestone in the history of Itinerario. With this inaugural issue of the year, the journal transitions to an online-only format, ceasing its print publication. While we regret the discontinuation of the print edition, we are delighted that this transition enables another significant change: Itinerario will now be entirely open access. This development not only aligns with the evolving landscape of academic publishing but also substantially broadens the journal's reach and inclusivity.

This transition has profound implications for both the readers and contributors. For readers, the online open-access model eliminates financial and logistical barriers, democratising access to the journal's content. Scholars and students from underrepresented regions and institutions with limited financial resources can now fully engage with the scholarship published in Itinerario. This shift represents a crucial step towards fostering global intellectual equity, allowing a wider audience to participate in the dialogues and debates facilitated by the journal.

For authors, this change aligns with emerging academic cultures that prioritise accessibility and global engagement. Institutional open-access agreements, the Cambridge Open Equity Initiative, and Research4Life support Itinerario's commitment to innovative, curiosity-driven research. In this way, the journal will continue to offer a dynamic platform for both emerging and established scholars. By amplifying contributions from diverse academic backgrounds, regional contexts, and methodological approaches, Itinerario aspires to serve as a nexus for constructive global scholarly dialogue.

This issue exemplifies the journal's dedication to showcasing diverse perspectives on global and imperial histories, spanning from the sixteenth century to the present and covering nearly all continents. The articles included herein engage with a wide array of themes, from entanglements of empires and trade networks to the intersections of local and global histories.

Cameron J. G. Dodge contributes a compelling analysis of the Atlantic logwood trade (1550–1775), tracing its evolution from piracy to mechanisation and examining its impact on ecological and industrial developments on both sides of the Atlantic. Ryan Holroyd's article explores the transformations in Chinese-Sulawesian trade connections and the emergence of Makassar as a critical entrepôt in Southeast Asia. Stan Pannier investigates the trans-imperial ventures of Romberg & Cons., an Austrian Netherlands-based company engaged in the Spanish slave trade. Maritime spaces also serve as the setting for two further articles. Nicholas Roberts explores how political entrepreneur Rahmah bin Jabirin shaped the international order of the Gulf, while Martin Biersack examines botanical espionage across the eighteenth-century Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea. Mario Grana-Taborelli's article remains within the Spanish Empire, analysing the construction of frontier spaces. In a different geographical context, Harriet Zurndorfer's explores early modern racial and sexual discourses by examining human trafficking narratives of Francesco Carletti. Regarding the nineteenth century, Sang Wook Lee and Samuel Guex reflect on representations of museums in East Asian travel writings in late nineteenth century. Moving into the twentieth century, Oliver Coates reinterprets the 1943 West African Editors’ Press Delegation, emphasising African agency and networks.

The two review essays that conclude this issue engage with the themes outlined above. In the first essay, Alejandro Caneque examines the expanding borders of Atlantic history, underscoring the growing recognition of the South Atlantic and Iberian contributions to the broader interconnected Atlantic world. Finally, Kyle Marini reviews three groundbreaking works on Indigenous American presence and historiography, highlighting their collective challenge to Eurocentric narratives of discovery and colonialism.

We conclude this issue with an interview with Ben Teensma, philologist and historian. His life experiences have profoundly shaped his scholarly perspectives, particularly regarding the importance of language in historical experiences. His remarkable life course testifies to the significance of learning, even under the direst of circumstances.

We are happy to present this diverse issue and look forward to continuing our mission of fostering innovative, inclusive, and impactful scholarship. Itinerario embarks on this new chapter with the confidence that our digital and open-access format will make the journal a more accessible, dynamic, and globally relevant forum for historical inquiry and inclusive dialogue. We extend our gratitude to our contributors and readers for being part of this journey and invite you to engage with the scholarship in this issue and those to come.