Welcome to the LOCANUCU blog, your home for localization news you can use. In today's roundup for June 24, 2025, we're tracking major strategic shifts and financial news from industry giant RWS. We'll also explore the critical role of high-quality data in training generative AI with insights from a Lionbridge case study, and look at how professionals in Belgium are advocating for systemic change. From industry forums in gaming to webinars on AI and the vital importance of preserving Indigenous languages, we're covering the key developments shaping our industry right now.
- The International Decade of Indigenous Languages highlights the global effort to preserve and revitalize endangered languages.
- The Commission for Indigenous Languages is actively championing initiatives to support language revitalization efforts.
- Effective localization strategies increasingly rely on seamless integration with Content Management Systems (CMS).
- Translating for Portuguese requires careful consideration of the linguistic and cultural nuances between its different regional variants.
- The Association of Language Companies US (ALCUS) has an upcoming industry event for its members.
- Lionbridge released a case study detailing its work helping a major tech company train a new generative AI model.
- A Nimdzi report explores "The Customer Centricity Illusion," urging a re-evaluation of customer-focused business strategies.
- Smartling is hosting an upcoming webinar focused on the applications and impact of AI in localization.
- techforword is offering an "AI in Interpreting Bootcamp" to train professionals on new technologies.
- Discussions from LocWorld53 and TAUS Massively Multilingual AI events highlight ongoing AI advancements in the industry.
- The machine translation community is looking ahead to the upcoming MT Summit 2025.
- The Game Quality Forum is taking place in Lisbon from June 24-26, focusing on QA, localization, and community management in gaming.
- memoQ is actively participating in the Game Quality Forum in Lisbon.
- RWS reported a modest 1.4% organic constant currency revenue growth in its latest half-year report.
- RWS's Language & Content Technology division showed particularly strong performance, driven by Propylon and Language Weaver.
- RWS reported a pretax loss of £12.7 million, citing pricing pressure and changes in work mix.
- RWS CEO Ben Faes has unveiled a new corporate strategy focused on technology and products, structured into three pillars.
- The new RWS strategy aims to position the company as a key content solution partner to accelerate profitable growth.
- RWS has corrected its dividend payment timetable, setting the ex-dividend date for June 26th.
- The Belgian Chamber of Translators and Interpreters has joined protests demanding structural reform of the justice system.
- Belgian linguists are protesting for higher official fee schedules and against chronic payment delays for legal work.
- The Belgian Chamber warns that poor working conditions are creating a shortage of qualified legal translators and interpreters.
We begin today in Lisbon, where the Game Quality Forum is now underway, running until June 26th. The event gathers professionals from Quality Assurance, Localization, and Community Management within the global gaming sector. memoQ is participating in the forum, which is designed to foster a cross-functional culture through a series of workshops, roundtables, and presentations.
In corporate news, RWS has released its half-year report for the period ending March 31, 2025. The company announced a modest organic constant currency revenue growth of 1.4%, marking a continued return to growth from the latter half of the previous fiscal year. Growth was observed in three of its four divisions, with a notable performance from the Language & Content Technology division, spurred by Propylon and Language Weaver. However, RWS also reported a pretax loss of £12.7 million, a shift from the profit seen in the prior year. This has been attributed to changes in the work mix and pricing pressures in its Language Services division.
Alongside these financial results, RWS CEO Ben Faes has introduced a new strategy to reshape the company's operations. The new model simplifies the structure into three pillars—generate, transform, and protect—with a core focus on technology and products. Faes noted that AI-powered solutions are achieving significant traction, and the strategy is intended to establish RWS as a key content solution partner to drive accelerated growth. The company also issued a correction to its dividend payment schedule, with the ex-dividend date now set for June 26th.
Turning to the role of AI in data, a new case study from Lionbridge details how the company assisted a global technology giant in training its new generative AI model. This highlights the critical role that high-quality, multilingual data plays in the development of next-generation AI systems. The theme of artificial intelligence is also central to several upcoming industry events. Smartling is hosting a webinar focused on AI, while techforword has announced an "AI in Interpreting Bootcamp," indicating a strong focus across the industry on adapting to and leveraging AI technologies. Further discussions on AI's impact are anticipated following LocWorld53 and at the upcoming TAUS Massively Multilingual AI events. Additionally, preparations and discussions are ongoing for the MT Summit 2025, a key event for the machine translation community.
In Belgium, the Chamber of Translators and Interpreters is taking part in a protest with magistrates and public prosecutors to call for structural reforms within the country's justice system. The professional body is demanding a substantial increase to the official fee schedules, which, despite being updated in January 2025, remain significantly lower than private sector rates. The Chamber is also drawing attention to chronic payment delays for sworn translators and interpreters. They warn that these challenging working conditions are causing a shortage of qualified professionals, thereby increasing the risk of procedural errors within the justice system.
On the topic of language advocacy, the International Decade of Indigenous Languages continues to be a significant focus. Efforts are being championed by organizations like the Commission for Indigenous Languages to support and revitalize these languages. The initiative underscores the importance of linguistic diversity and the background work required to protect endangered languages. In a related area, the complexities of translation for a single language across different regions are highlighted by examining the Portuguese landscape, reminding us of the need for deep cultural and linguistic understanding beyond simple word-for-word translation.
Finally, industry analysis from Nimdzi brings a critical perspective on "The Customer Centricity Illusion," prompting companies to re-evaluate their strategies in this area. And for those managing global content, the integration of localization processes directly within a Content Management System, or CMS, continues to be a vital topic for streamlining workflows and improving efficiency. The Association of Language Companies in the US is also hosting an upcoming event that will likely touch on these and other key industry issues.
That's a wrap on today's news. We've seen how RWS is pivoting its entire strategy under CEO Ben Faes to embrace technology and AI-driven growth. We also touched on the tangible impact of AI across the board, from Lionbridge's data training projects to upcoming bootcamps and webinars. On the community front, the fight for fair compensation and conditions by Belgian interpreters highlights ongoing structural challenges, while the focus on Indigenous languages reminds us of the cultural core of our work. Stay tuned to LOCANUCU as we continue to track these stories and more.