New developments in the translation sector that benefit end clients
Varendi Translation was present at UnConference 2025 organized by the Association of Language Companies (ALC), an event focused on the translation sector. The 2025 version was held in Florida, United States, in the city of St. Petersburg, better known as St. Pete. The city is famous for its pleasant climate and beautiful beaches with soft white sand. This friendly, relaxed atmosphere encouraged a freer exchange of ideas between the language service providers. Unlike conferences in general (hence the name “UnConference”), there is never a predefined program or script.
So, instead of a rigid, formal agenda, ALC provided outlines and suggested topics for its round tables. This allows current issues relating to translation services (in all its forms, including interpreting) to be discussed in a dynamic and objective way. Instead of a predefined program, there were open discussions, brainstorming, interactive activities and perspectives on trends in translation and where we will be in the next few years.
The search for answers to everyday problems faced by translation companies has accelerated the discovery of appropriate solutions for clients. These needs are specific and, at the same time, constantly changing. Participants were able to share best practices, explore new technologies and address common challenges faced by the industry. In the case of Varendi Translation, the focus of our CEO, Fuad Azzam, was on finding solutions geared to the challenges of projects for the pharmaceutical and medical device industry, and for industry and services in general.
Of particular interest to Varendi Translation was the quest to improve technical translation ecosystems, including ancillary services. From DTP (document layout), through file pre-processing, the translation stages themselves (translation, proofreading and final reading), to final checking. All these steps and functions add value to the service delivered and therefore deserve to be improved. Not just in terms of the process itself, but also in terms of improving human resources for the same purpose.
Technology occupied an important part of the agenda. In particular, we looked at appropriate and ethical ways of applying artificial intelligence (AI) in the process of increasing value while reducing risk. There are many professional tools available, and it was very interesting to discuss the possible combinations and best ways of interacting with and between these tools. Artificial intelligence brings many new approaches, but with a lot of work still to be done to fully achieve the goals of quality and risk reduction in translation.
