About the session

Interpretation of today – a matter of democracy, digitalization and tenders

The right to an interpreter as well as to be able to offer educated and authorized interpreters and translators is the basis of our business. It is also a prerequisite for society’s resources to be utilized in the right way, for authorities to make the right decisions and for the legal security of the individual to be maintained. We are a business based on a democratic principle that is crucial for successful integration.

There is a great price pressure in the public sector. The serious companies’ ambition to ensure reasonable conditions for interpreters are eroded when the mediation fee approaches the zero line. In the long run, it will become a societal problem if conditions and incentives are not created for interpreters to further their education and remain in the profession. What will be the consequences of exercising public authority without trained interpreters?

Digitalization has a major impact on the industry in terms of optimizing interpreters’ time and reducing manual elements in the mediation process. The next step is to offer completely digital solutions for occasions when there is no time to contact an interpreter. Technology provides opportunities but can still not replace encounters between people in vulnerable situations.

About Jens

Jens is the CEO of the 7^th largest LSP in the world – family owned Språkservice who has been on the market for 26 years. He was hired to speed up digitalization and realized that the business is in line with his own values of all people’s right to understand and be understood.