GLIM – Agence professionnelle de Traduction

Machine translation vs. computer-assisted translation: Which is the best solution for your business?

djezon-glim — Tue, 18 Feb 2025 11:00:14 +0000

In a world where multilingual communication is essential, businesses are looking for effective solutions to translate their content. Two technologies currently dominate the market: machine translation (MT) and computer-assisted translation (CAT). But what is the difference between these two approaches, and which one best suits your needs?

1. What is machine translation?

Machine translation relies entirely on algorithms to convert text from one language to another without human intervention. It uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to improve over time. Among the best-known solutions are Google Translate, DeepL and Microsoft Translator.

Avantages de la traduction automatique :

Speed: Instant translation of large volumes of text.
Lower cost: No need for a human translator; ideal for basic translations.
Évolution technologique : L’IA continue de s’améliorer et d’affiner la qualité des traductions.

Disadvantages of machine translation:

Lack of precision: Contextual and grammatical errors are common.
Lack of nuance: The algorithm does not always understand linguistic and cultural subtleties.
Privacy: Text submitted to online tools may be stored and analysed.

2. What is computer-assisted translation (CAT)?

Unlike machine translation, CAT is a tool used by human translators to improve their productivity and consistency. It relies on specialised software such as SDL Trados, MemoQ or Wordfast, which incorporate linguistic databases and translation memories.

Advantages of computer-assisted translation:

Superior quality: Human translators ensure greater accuracy and a better understanding of the context.
Terminological consistency: Thanks to translation memories and glossaries, terminology remains consistent.
Time-saving: Automating certain repetitive tasks to speed up the translation process.
Data security: CAT tools allow you to work locally and ensure the confidentiality of documents.

Disadvantages of computer-assisted translation:

Higher cost: Requires the services of a professional, which can be more expensive.
Turnaround time: Slower than machine translation for urgent requirements.

Which solution should you choose for your business?

The choice between TA and TAO depends on your specific needs:

For quick, non-critical translations (emails, internal documents, temporary content): machine translation may be sufficient.
For strategic, technical or legal documents (contracts, websites, marketing materials): computer-assisted translation ensures higher quality and greater accuracy.
For an effective compromise: A hybrid approach combining machine translation and human proofreading could be considered.

Conclusion

If speed and cost are your top priorities, machine translation may be a suitable solution. However, if quality and accuracy are essential, investing in computer-assisted translation with the expertise of a professional will be a wiser choice. Assessing your needs and expectations will help you choose the best language strategy for your business.

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ISO 17100 certification: the standard that sets GLIM apart

djezon-glim — Tue, 16 May 2023 11:51:46 +0000

In a world of constant communication, the ability to convey information and translate it accurately and reliably is of paramount importance.
Since its inception, GLIM has operated at the heart of an extremely demanding international ecosystem, where rigour, precision and professionalism are the norm.
In this context, we are proud and delighted to announce that GLIM’s translation services are now ISO 17100 certified.

Where there are standards, there are requirements…

By setting out and defining requirements in terms of language skills, translation techniques, project management and quality control, the ISO 17100 standard is certainly no less demanding.
A highly detailed qualification process and a rigorous certification audit carried out by an independent body have enabled us to validate a quality management system that meets the standard’s requirements. Our linguists and project managers were also assessed on their technical and linguistic skills.

Recognition of our commitments

For GLIM, achieving ISO 17100 certification is a recognition of the work we have carried out since our inception. We have always made it a point of honour to provide reliable and consistent translation and localisation services, which have enabled us to earn the trust of many international clients, including major industrial groups for whom anything less than perfection is unacceptable.
This ISO 17100 certification is not merely a milestone. Whilst this certification serves as validation of our commitments, the constant attention we pay to the quality of our work means that, for us, it is simply a natural extension of our ongoing efforts.

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Belgium: Low lands – Top pharma

djezon-glim — Thu, 17 Jun 2021 09:24:57 +0000

Renowned for its support of researchers, Belgium has become a key hub for the pharmaceutical industry.

GLIM has a division specialising in medical and pharmaceutical translations. From marketing authorisation procedures to marketing materials, we support our clients in bringing their products to market worldwide.

L’industrie pharmaceutique belge : la formule du succès ?

Johnson & Johnson, GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer, UCB, to name but a few… A sensationalist headline might claim that Belgium’s position on the global pharmaceutical industry map will shock you, but in fact, more than 29 of the 30 global leaders in the pharmaceutical industry have a presence in Belgium.

Renowned for its support for researchers and for the close ties that its institutions have fostered between universities and laboratories, Belgium has, in the wake of the pandemic, become a key hub for the production of Covid-19 vaccines, hosting several key sites within its borders.

This economic success is not, however, the result of shrewd opportunism. Historically, Belgium has always been the leading investor in pharmaceutical R&D in Europe. In 2019, for example, nearly €4 billion (compared with €3.6 billion in 2018) was invested in research, accounting for around 10% of European expenditure. According to Pharma.be, which brings together industry stakeholders, these figures are rising steadily. We are, in fact, witnessing a genuine increase in investment in knowledge, notably through greater investment in qualified R&D personnel.

Belgium is going out of its way to support its industry

The country has developed an exceptional ecosystem comprising more than 200 pharmaceutical companies. Multinationals, biotechnology firms and specialist SMEs work in synergy and maintain close collaboration with universities and research centres.

This unique organisation reinforces Belgium’s leadership in the field, placing the country (which has a population of just 11.5 million) at the top of the European rankings and second in the world for clinical trials (in terms of the number of trials per capita). This dynamism is particularly supported by the institutions that have established, since 2018, a permanent national observatory for the pharmaceutical sector, whose mission is to analyse, evaluate and make recommendations regarding the competitive position of the Belgian pharmaceutical sector. But beyond this political will and the presence of leading industrial players, Belgium also enjoys a unique geostrategic location.

As the seat of the European institutions, it is a key historical crossroads for the trade routes that criss-cross Europe from north to south and east to west. This major geographical advantage, which dates back to the great medieval trade fairs of Flanders, has never lost its significance and continues to shape distribution activities across Europe to this day.

The pharmaceutical sector in Belgium: a driver of sustainable economic growth

The figures speak for themselves: even before the outbreak began, the Belgian pharmaceutical industry’s international exports stood at €50 billion. In 2019, Belgium alone accounted for 13% of European biopharmaceutical exports, despite being home to just 2.5% of the EU’s population…

To sustain this windfall and ensure its continued growth, Belgium has worked to enhance the appeal of its ‘Biopharma Valley’: the country is renowned both for its tax incentives – including a reduced corporation tax rate if profits are reinvested in research and benefits for registering patents in Belgium – and for its regulatory flexibility, which notably allows for the rapid approval of clinical trial applications.

Currently accounting for over 30,000 jobs in Belgium, the pharmaceutical industry generates a significant amount of wealth and contributes to the country’s appeal. Highly qualified professionals, purchasing power and international influence are all assets that reinforce Belgium’s leadership – if not its exceptional status – in Europe, and this is particularly evident in Flanders.

Located in the north of the country, the Flanders region brings together biotechnology, medtech and the pharmaceutical industry. This ‘cross-pollination’, to use the local government’s own words, forms the basis of a thriving ecosystem centred on the life sciences.

This is where, for example, Pfizer’s laboratories are located; the company has established its second-largest site worldwide in the small town of Puurs, after its facility in Kalamazoo, Michigan. In this colossal factory, which comprises no fewer than three production units, billions of doses of the mRNA vaccine against Covid-19 are currently being produced.

A powerful and strategic industry

The pharmaceutical industry spends fifteen times more annually on lobbying European institutions than consumer organisations in the health sector. This figure highlights the sector’s strategic importance and the stakes involved for a country such as Belgium, particularly as nine of the ten largest companies in the sector are owned by foreign multinationals, meaning that the sector’s development does not depend on Belgium, but on decisions taken elsewhere. It is therefore essential for Belgium to maintain and promote a long-standing sector that has proven its effectiveness both over time and across different regions.

For further information, readers may wish to consult the following publications, amongst others:

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