Welcome to the LOCANUCU blog, your destination for localization news you can use. In a fast-moving industry, staying informed is key to staying ahead. Today, August 5th, 2025, we're covering a wide array of critical updates. We will explore major organizational changes with GALA's new website, significant government tenders from the EU, and the continuing evolution of AI in translation with updates from ByteDance, Microsoft, and DeepL. We'll also touch upon workflow automation from Localazy and Lokalise, and dive into high-level strategy on content, leadership, and culturalization from thought leaders like Hilary-Ann Nur-Weller and platforms like Smartling and Yolocalizo.
- The Globalization and Localization Association (GALA) has launched a new, redesigned website for an improved user experience.
- The EU's top court released a major translation tender valued at around €7 million.
- Industry analysis continues on the full impact of the Pam Bondi language access memo in the US.
- ByteDance has revealed a new methodology for training smaller, open-source AI models for translation tasks.
- Microsoft's Copilot is proving to be effective for tasks frequently performed by language professionals.
- AI is creating new opportunities and service models within the language services industry.
- The Association of Language Companies (ALC) is gearing up for its 2025 Annual Summit.
- AI is facilitating the translation and global distribution of fiction, opening up new markets for literature.
- A report highlights four lesser-known but effective solutions for Arabic localization.
- Multilingual Magazine has been honored with a second APEX Award of Excellence for its publications.
- DeepL has launched DeepL Academy, an educational platform for its AI translation tools.
- Localazy provides a guide on how to fully automate the software localization workflow.
- Localazy offers a specific workflow for automating localization using GitLab CI/CD pipelines.
- Lokalise showcases its GitHub Actions integration to automate the flow of translation keys.
- Lokalise published a guide with examples to explain the practice of transcreation.
- Guidance is available on applying transcreation principles to multilingual SEO for better results.
- A Yolocalizo analysis argues for localization's role in influencing source content strategy.
- Yolocalizo offers advice for localization professionals on gaining buy-in from leadership.
- Hilary-Ann ‘Hilary’ Nur-Weller calls for a strategic rethinking of localization careers in the AI era.
- Smartling outlines crucial questions to vet potential translation partners.
- Smartling provides insights into using geotargeting for more effective global marketing campaigns.
- An article from Smartling explains the deep impact of culturalization beyond simple translation.
- Comactiva details steps for building an intelligent localization workflow.
- Multilingual offers a recap of the key language industry events from July 2025.
Kicking off today's news, the Globalization and Localization Association, also known as GALA, has unveiled a completely redesigned website. The new interface aims to provide members and the broader industry with a more streamlined and user-friendly experience for accessing resources, news, and event information.
In European Union news, the EU's top court has issued a significant translation tender valued at approximately 7 million euros. This highlights the continued, large-scale demand for high-quality translation services within major governmental bodies, covering the linguistic needs of the member states.
Turning to policy in the United States, there is ongoing analysis of the language access memo from Pam Bondi, with discussions focusing on its potential impact and whether its implications for the industry are more significant than initially anticipated.
In the world of artificial intelligence, ByteDance has published research demonstrating how to effectively train small, open-source models specifically for AI translation tasks. This development could pave the way for more customized and efficient AI solutions that don't rely on massive, general-purpose models. In a related development, Microsoft's Copilot is showing strong performance on tasks familiar to language professionals. Evaluations indicate its utility in areas like terminology research, content creation, and code-related localization tasks, positioning it as a potentially powerful assistant for the industry. Further expanding on AI's role, discussions are charting new territory for language services, exploring how AI is not just a tool for automation but a force for creating new service lines and business models. This extends even to creative fields, where AI is seen as a key to unlocking the next chapter for global fiction, helping to bring more diverse stories to international audiences faster than ever before.
On the educational front, DeepL has launched the DeepL Academy, an online learning platform designed to help users master its tools and understand the nuances of AI-powered translation. This initiative signals a move by AI providers to actively educate their user base on best practices.
Looking ahead at industry events, the Association of Language Companies, or ALC, is preparing for its Annual Summit in 2025, an event that promises to bring together leaders to discuss the evolving landscape of the language services industry. In a moment of industry recognition, Multilingual Magazine has won its second APEX Award of Excellence, a testament to its continued contribution to the language services community through high-quality publications.
Several companies have released new insights and features focused on workflow and automation. Localazy has detailed how to automate the entire software localization process, from development through to translation, including specific integrations for GitLab CI/CD pipelines to create a seamless flow. Similarly, Lokalise is highlighting its GitHub Actions integration, enabling teams to automate the process of sending translation keys from their code repositories directly to the Lokalise platform.
On the strategic side, a number of resources have become available. Smartling has provided guidance on key questions to ask potential translation partners to ensure a successful relationship, as well as separate articles on the importance of culturalization for genuine market connection and the effective use of geotargeting in marketing. Comactiva has also shared insights on building an intelligent localization workflow that balances technology with human expertise.
Discussions around strategy also emphasize localization's growing influence on upstream processes. One analysis from Yolocalizo explores the critical role of the localization team in shaping source content strategy, advocating for early involvement to prevent downstream issues. Another piece from the same source offers tactics for localization managers to effectively communicate with leadership and get their ideas greenlighted. Adding to this high-level view, a piece from Hilary-Ann ‘Hilary’ Nur-Weller's Substack calls this our "science fiction moment," urging a fundamental rethinking of localization careers and strategies in the age of AI.
Finally, for those working with specific language markets, new information is available on four under-the-radar market solutions for Arabic localization, providing valuable tools for a key market. And for marketing and creative teams, Lokalise is offering deep dives on transcreation, with practical examples and a look at how to apply transcreation principles to achieve effective multilingual SEO.
That's the roundup for today. We've seen how the industry continues to integrate AI at every level, from DeepL's new educational academy to ByteDance's specialized models. We've covered the practical side of localization with automation workflows using GitLab and GitHub Actions, and the strategic imperative of getting a seat at the table, as discussed by Yolocalizo. From a major EU tender underscoring the value of our work to GALA's new digital front door, the theme is clear: the localization industry is dynamic, technologically driven, and more strategically important than ever. Thanks for reading LOCANUCU, where we provide the knowledge you need to go global.