£250,000 for Welsh Language Technology Projects

21 Apr 2015 11:58 AM

Welsh Language Technology Projects across Wales are set to get a funding boost of over £250,000 during 2015-16, First Minister Carwyn Jones announced yesterday.

Ten projects across Wales will receive £269,981 through the Welsh Language Technology and Digital Media Grant, which aims to encourage the use of the language through technology and digital media.

The successful projects will see the development of a number of different apps which will provide access to the historic University of Wales dictionary; help people with their mutations; and stream Welsh language music.  The projects will also see the creation of a bilingual event management and ticketing service and the development of bilingual WordPress themes.

The First Minister said yesterday:  

“Technology is an integral part of our daily lives.  That is why it is so important that the latest technology and digital media are available in the Welsh language.  

“The Welsh Language Technology and Digital Media Grant aims to achieve this by promoting and encouraging the use of Welsh through technology.  I am delighted to be able to announce that ten projects will receive over £250,000 through the grant during 2015-16.  

“The grant has been a real success since its launch in 2013 and we have seen the development of numerous innovative and popular projects across Wales. Today’s announcement will build on this providing people with even more opportunities to use the language in their daily lives.”

Menter Môn was one of the organisations to benefit from funding in last year’s grant scheme.  The ‘O Glust i Glust’ project  created an app for simultaneous translators using recycled mobile phones. Dafydd Gruffydd, Business Manager Menter Môn said:  

“The funding we received through the Welsh Government’s Welsh language technology and digital media grant has been vital in helping us to turn our vision for ‘O Glust i Glust’ into reality.  The new app can be used in formal meetings but is also an accessible option for those unexpected situations when traditional simultaneous translation equipment is not at hand.  It will make a real difference to the use of the language.”

Another project to receive funding in last year’s grant was Interceptor Solutions Ltd, who accelerated the rollout of multilingual software interfaces. Richard Sheppard, the company’s director said:  

“LinguaSkin makes it easier to make English-only web applications and websites bilingual. This grant helped us evaluate and refine it with real users across Wales and validate its effectiveness in enabling bilingual online services to be delivered quickly and cost-effectively.”

The ten projects to receive funding under the 2015-16 scheme are:

• Canolfan Peniarth – Ap Treiglo (£15,795). An app to help people with Welsh language mutations;
• Moilin Cyf. – Tocyn Cymru (£35,000).  The project will result in a bilingual event management and ticketing service;
• Speech and Language Technology Unit, Canolfan Bedwyr, Bangor University – Welsh communications infrastructure (£45,000).  Laying the foundations for a range of Welsh language free and open source communications technologies, including transcription, voice command and control, question answering, and speech to speech translation;
• University of South Wales Hypermedia Research Unit – Welsh natural language toolkit (£32,000). A package analysing the natural Welsh language;
• Gwe Cambrian Web – Bilingual WordPress Themes (£11,392). The project will develop new bilingual WordPress themes;
• Sain Records – ApSain (£30,000). A new music streaming service by the Welsh-language music label Sain;
• Prifysgol Cymru – Ap Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru (£40,500). New Android and Apple apps for the historical dictionary;
• Cwmni Da – GêmTube  (£25,000). A training project based in Caernarfon where young YouTubers will learn to produce and publish Welsh-language commentary game walkthroughs for YouTube;
• Coleg Meirion Dwyfor - Android app building training (£15,294). A training the trainers plan where students at the further education college learn to make and publish an Android app and then go on to teach younger students in local schools to do the same thing; and
• Applingua Ltd – Mass Welsh App Translation (£20,000). Applingua adds Welsh interfaces to popular international multilingual apps.