This white paper is part of a series that promotes knowledge about
language technology and its potential. It addresses educators,
journalists, politicians, language communities and others. The
availability and use of language technology in Europe varies
between languages. Consequently, the actions that are required to
further support research and development of language technologies
also differ for each language. The required actions depend on many
factors, such as the complexity of a given language and the size of
its community. META-NET, a Network of Excellence funded by the
European Commission, has conducted an analysis of current language
resources and technologies. This analysis focused on the 23
official European languages as well as other important national and
regional languages in Europe. The results of this analysis suggest
that there are many significant research gaps for each language. A
more detailed expert analysis and assessment of the current
situation will help maximise the impact of additional research and
minimize any risks. META-NET consists of 54 research centres from
33 countries that are working with stakeholders from commercial
businesses, government agencies, industry, research organisations,
software companies, technology providers and European universities.
Together, they are creating a common technology vision while
developing a strategic research agenda that shows how language
technology applications can address any research gaps by 2020.