The Localisation Research Centre

Localisation Research, Education, and Networking since 1995

Reinhard Schäler, DirectorReinhard.Schaler@ul.ie - www.localisation.ie

IETICT/CIICT 2013 Beijing, China, 27th to 29th of April

Orientation

Where in the World?

How to Get from A to B?

CNGL

LRC@UL

KDEG

@TCD

NCLT@DCU

CNGL • Intelligent Content

Translation &

Localisation

• Translation & Localisation

Social Localisati

on

• Nonmarket

CNGL – Challenges – Themes

Centr

e

Them

e

Ch

alle

ng

e

Cross CNGL

Distribution

Creation

MT

Social Localisation

Usability

Processes

Interop. &

Metadata.

Research Contributions + Applying & Informing

ResearchResearch

LRCwww.localisation.ie

Mission

Worldwide digital publishers and their partners who are interested in future technologies and processes for GILT.

Relevant well-researched content rich information on future trends and technologies.

A unique industry and academic collaboration which provides an unparalleled network of expertise

The LRC at UL is the focal point and the research and educational centre for the localisation communities.Empowering Language Communities

Background• Established in 1995 with support from the Irish

Government (Ireland = the world’s largest exporter of software)

• Academic activities• Funded research (EU, Industry, SFI)• Postgraduate teaching (innovative, flexible, adapted to

learners needs)• Localisation Focus – The International Journal for

Localisation• Annual Conference (strong academic-industry links)• Annual Summer School (linking theory and practice)

• Industry collaboration• 20-person strong Industrial Advisory Board,

representing digital publishers, tools developers and service providers, among them:Microsoft, Oracle, SAP, Symantec, Twitter, …

Walls don’t work!

Building BridgesCreating Impact

Building Bridges

• Breaking out of silos

• Looking beyond the horizon

• Challenging established paradigms

• Applying revolutionary approaches

Research

Teaching

Practice

Creating Impact

People

Research

Teaching

Practice

Activities

Annual LRC Localisation Summer School

2011 - Computer and Video Games Localisation2012 – Mobile Application Dev & Localisation

12th LRC Summer SchoolLimerick, 20-24 May 2013 Research Day Master Class 1: Lesser-Resourced

Language Localisation: The Long Tail

Networking and Sightseeing Master Class 2: Terminology New and Future Developments

www.localisation.ie

Annual LRC Internationalisation and Localisation Conference2009: L10N in the Cloud2010: Brave New World2011: Vertical vs. Virtual

18th LRC Conference, Limerick 23-25 Sept. 2013

The Future of Localisation: Commercial, Government, Educational, and Civil Society Sectors.

www.localisation.ie

Localisation FocusThe International Journal for Localisation

• Established in 1995

• The only peer-reviewed and indexed international localisation journal

• General and Special Issues (e.g. on CNGL)

http://www.localisation.ie/resources/locfocus/index.htm

MSc in Multilingual Computing and Localisation

(Distance Learning)

• One year taught programme

• Four modules per semester and dissertation during summer

• 2 weeks on campus (exam week and summer school)

www.localisation.ie/education

Empowering Language Communities to provide nonmarket social localisation• Founded in 2009

• Translation Commons (www.trommons.org)

• >3,200 volunteers and >40 organisations

• Nonprofit Charity

Action for Global Information Sharing (AGIS)

AGIS AfricaPromoting African Language Localisation• UNECA, UL

GALA, The Rosetta Foundation

• Launched 19 November 2012, University of Limerick)

• 2013/14: Pilot 5 African Students, fully funded

• Replicate in other regions

Business Strategies – Localisation Technologies – Industry Mentorships

NONMARKET SOCIAL LOCALISATION

2012-2013€100,000 Investment

Programme StaffDevelopment Team

Case Study

(Non)Market LocalisationUS$30 billion

• Mainstream• Short-term financial ROI• Translated.com

• 15 languages= 90% of world’s customers = 2 billion people

• Storyful - Bloomberg

US$0

• Social Localisation• Long-term social RoI• Ethnologue.org

• 6,985 languages= 70% of world’s citizens= 5 billion people

• Global Voices

Market Nonmarket

Market of 2 billion

customers

Nonmarketof 5 billion People

$

The Web does not just connect machines, it connects people.Tim Berners-Lee Speech before Knight Foundation, (14 September 2008)

?

No Traditional Business Casebut

Strong Motivation

Enterprise User

Demand

Community

Decentralised

Diverse

Supply

Controlled

Large scale

Community, Social, and

Demand-driven

Corporate, Controlled, and

Strategic

“To empower innovative community, social, and nonmarket localisation efforts driving the most

significant growth opportunity for the industry”

Service-Oriented Localisation Architecture SolutionOpen Source Project

• University Limerick

• LRC• CNGL

Research

• UL -> The Rosetta Foundation

• Open Source LGPL (~M4LOC, ~OKAPI)

License• Users• Steering Committee• Support & Sponsorship

Deployment

Launched 18 March 2013

UI

• Minimalistic• Intuitive

Match

• Task Stream• User Adapted

Admin

• Self-Managed• Transparent

Data

• Open Standard-Based• Interoperable

Localisation = Utility

?

=

WELCOME TO TROMMONSThe Translation Commons

Powered by:Co-ordinated by:

• Open• Owned by everybody

• Cannot be commoditised• Inclusive

• Widely shared ownership• All assets preserved (regardless of return of

capital)

The Nonmarket• Localisation on-demand,

for communities– by communities (supported by technology)

• Huge volumes (content, languages) and needs

• Nonprofit companies create 20% more employment than for-profit (per dollar).

• Nonmarket develops the markets of the future (resources, capacity)

• In the US, the nonprofit sector has revenues of US$1.9 trillion, more than gas and oil combined.

Building Bridges

Mutual Respect

Partnership of Equals

Practitioners

Academics

Commercial Civil Society

Opportunities

Capacity Building

2013-2016

TeachingOpen Distance Learning

Professional Development Programmes

ResearchCommunity Workflows and Support Technologies

Diversification of Research Partnerships

PracticeSOLAS

Translation Commons

Building BridgesEmpowering Language Communities

Thank Youwww.localisation.ie

www.therosettafoundation.orgwww.trommons.org