LT-Zoom - Language Technology Blog

The European Parliament's Science and Technology Options Assessment office (STOA) recently published a study concerning the role of technology in achieving European “language equality in the digital age.”  It claims that more than twenty European languages are in danger of “digital extinction,” and that the language technology (LT) programme that might save them is “not properly represented in the agenda of European policy makers.” While the study deserves to be welcomed i

Multilingualism is a core value of the European Union, as integral to Europe as the freedom of movement, the freedom of residence, and the freedom of expression. The European Charter of Fundamental Rights, which enshrines the foundational rights and freedoms protected in the EU, upholds a respect for cultural, religious, and also linguistic diversity as a cornerstone of European policy.

The Digital Single Market (DSM) has been declared a European priority by the European Commission. Rightfully so! Software eats everything and particularly eCommerce is enjoying dramatic growth rates and thus heavy investment. VP Andrus Ansip  has nicely summarized the vision of the Digital Single Market: “Consumers need to be able to buy the best products at the best prices, wherever they are in Europe.”

In a recent interview, the CEO of  the Spanish firm Daedalus, José Carlos Gonzalez  said with great verve that his “goal for 2014 is to cover progressively the specific needs of our clients by helping them to develop solutions in vertical markets, freeing them from the complexity of language processing technology.”