Industries, particularly those involved in research and development, are having to keep up with the fast pace at which the world is evolving. This is particularly true for biotech and pharmaceuticals, which are seeing a trend towards globalisation. The pandemic has accelerated this trend, increasing the need for specialised scientific research on a global scale.
As these industries expand and cater to specific requirements across different regions, the need for translation services is growing. The demand for accurate, easily understood and simplified regulatory frameworks is greater than ever. However, translating technical scientific content presents unique challenges, including maintaining accuracy and consistency across multiple languages and navigating very specialised scientific areas.
This guide explores the growth of the biotech and pharma industries and the important role that translation services play in their success as they take on the world stage.
Blending Marketing & Technical Translations
When companies seek to expand globally, they are looking beyond territorial expansion and seeking ways to maximise revenue by acquiring a customer base. To achieve this, a well-planned sales and marketing strategy is crucial, but effective communication is equally important. Communication must be clear, concise and aligned with the brand values of the company.
To ensure that information is accessible to the entire company network and to take into account regional laws, legal regulations and cultural differences that can impact its authenticity, technical translation is essential. Technical translation plays a vital role in facilitating communication across different countries and cultures and acts as a strong connection point for target audiences. It is a stepping stone towards building a memorable brand presence and establishing credibility in the minds of consumers.
The Growing Biotech & Pharma Market
As the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries continue to experience substantial growth, the need for effective communication across different languages and cultures becomes increasingly vital. According to Data Bridge Market Research, the biotechnology market is projected to grow from its value of £739.52 billion in 2022 to reach £7,337.04 billion by 2030, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 29% during the forecast period.
Similarly, the global pharmaceutical market has already surpassed £1.07 trillion and is expected to continue growing. To tap into new markets and maximise revenue, companies in these industries must prioritise accurate technical translation to ensure that their research, scientific understandings, and documents remain precise and effective in any language.
Beyond Word-for-Word Translation
Both the biotech and pharmaceutical industries offer niche products and services to specific customers, but this involves complex terminology and jargon. Expert translation services are needed to keep research analyses, scientific understandings and documents technically accurate across different languages.
Some sentences may not have an exact equivalent in all languages, but it is crucial that the meaning remains the same. Mistranslation can have severe and long-lasting consequences for companies of all sizes. Incorrect translations can lead to various challenges, including the following:
- Legal and regulatory issues: Every country has different legal requirements, and even the smallest mistranslation can result in a breach of the law and misalignment with local regulations. This can affect the business’s entry point into that region and lead to severe penalties.
- Mishandling of sensitive data: Biotech and pharma companies undertake clinical trials that generate highly confidential findings and patient-related data. If not translated correctly, inaccuracies can make such trials redundant and lead to serious legal action.
- Safety risks: Healthcare-related information, such as medicine dosage, drug labels or usage instructions, must be translated accurately to avoid adverse events that can harm patients, sometimes to the point of hospitalisation or even death.
- Reputation damage: Poorly translated marketing materials can create negative perceptions of the company or product, damaging the reputation and potentially leading to decreased sales.
- Financial losses: Any mistranslation will need to be corrected, increasing the time taken for product and service launches. Product failures and repairs are expensive in terms of cost and business reputation, as it erodes trust within the partner and customer base.
- Adverse decision making: Technical documents often contain sensitive business information like performance data and team reports, that if inaccurately translated, can directly impact leadership’s decision-making abilities.
This highlights the importance of translation experts. Professional translators with a clear understanding of business offerings and subject matter expertise can make a significant difference in ensuring clear communication.
Developing Documentation
Biotech and pharma companies may require various types of translation services depending on their size, scale and customer needs. These could range from short documents to comprehensive branding guidelines, and each of them should be given equal importance for the brand’s success.
The documents that require translation include:
- Technical manuals and user guides for specific scientific projects.
- Consent forms, documentation and reports related to clinical trials and new drug formation, are highly specific to each industry.
- Scientific publications, legal patents, and regulatory filings for new market players.
- Safety data sheets and findings related to potential hazards of chemicals, raw materials, and finished products. These are crucial for ensuring public and worker safety.
- Marketing materials, including product labels, brochures, product descriptions, advertising campaigns, social media posts and websites. Understanding the cultural context of the region is vital to building consumer connections.
- Quality control documentation, including standard operating procedures and batch records. Inspection reports, test protocols, and certification documents are essential for ensuring product quality and regulatory compliance.
- Legal agreements, such as licensing and partnership agreements. This includes supplier and vendor contracts for the entire supply chain, which may be spread across different geographies. It is critical for all parties to comprehend the terms and conditions of such agreements clearly to avoid miscommunication and legal action.
- Employee training materials and HR documents such as operational guidelines to ensure streamlined compliance across different locations.
- Financial and accounting documents, such as annual reports and investor presentations.
Accurate translation of these documents is crucial for biotech and pharma companies to comply with international regulations and communicate effectively with stakeholders across different languages and cultures.
Trusted Translation Services
High-quality technical translation is essential for the success of biotech and pharma companies, and Bubbles has extensive experience and expertise in providing exceptional translation services for these industries. With a deep understanding of technical terminology, scientific processes and industry-specific terminology, our team of professional translators ensures that research analyses, scientific understandings and documents remain technically accurate across different languages.
Bubbles have a proven track record of being the go-to translation service provider for biotech and pharma companies. Our comprehensive translation service covers a wide range of documents, including technical manuals, scientific publications, safety data sheets, legal agreements, and financial documents. We are committed to ensuring accurate and timely translations that comply with international regulations and effectively communicate with stakeholders across different languages and cultures.
With Bubbles, you can trust that your translation needs are in good hands. Our highly skilled expert teams can manage your international project from start to finish, ensuring a consistent voice across customer touchpoints and eliminating language barriers. Contact us today to learn how we can help your business succeed on the global stage.
