DEFENCEO 2025: Where accurate translation is a matter of security, not just administration
The DEFENCEO conference at the International Engineering Fair in Brno confirmed a clear trend: the Czech defence and security industry is booming.
But this raises a key question: how can a Czech company break into global supply chains – whether delivering hardware, software, or expert services?
We also took part as speakers in a professional panel discussion, sharing our experience.
“The foundation of everything lies in the idea, the vision and the passion.”
This quote from the conference captures our mindset perfectly when it comes to long-term collaboration with clients. At České překlady, however, it has a second, more pragmatic dimension: Even the most innovative vision or cutting-edge product can fail abroad without flawless communication and precise technical documentation.
What DEFENCEO 2025 was about
The first year was not just about meeting leading figures in engineering and military contracts. The top priority for most of the CEOs and managers was how to become a qualified supplier to major players in NATO or the EU and how to get through the demanding certification process.
A clear message emerged for us from these discussions: Successful exporting depends on flawless documentation and consistent terminology across all materials. In practice, we see the same issue time and again: when the source text lacks consistent terminology, the problem only intensifies in translation. Different departments often use different names for the same component—and those inconsistencies carry through into every language version.
If tender documents, manuals, or certificates contain such terminology issues, it can raise doubts about your professionalism with the contracting authority. At best, this results in delays and higher costs; at worst, unclear technical descriptions can directly put operator safety at risk. In defence, you simply cannot afford to make your documentation look less professional than the equipment you sell.
Language as a strategic tool (our input in the panel discussion)
Our CEO Lukáš Utíkal spoke at the afternoon panel, “Practical experience with innovations for the defence industry – Part II”. He introduced the role of precision language services in defence export projects and mentioned the specific example of collaborating with Aero Vodochody on the translation of extensive technical documentation for the L-39 Skyfox aircraft. You can read more about this project in our case study here.
While the discussion centred on certification, innovation, and finance, we set out to highlight one often overlooked truth: language services are a subtle but essential link to successful exports. Without flawless technical documentation and quality communication (interpretation), even the best technical and innovation projects can fail. Our experience clearly shows that a unified terminology database (glossary + translation memory), created before the translation process begins, is the most effective investment.
Many Czech suppliers only address the mismatch of terms when translations are already underway. Our recommendation: build a unified terminology database before your first major export project. This will save you many hours of revisions and help you ensure that your documentation looks as professional as the product itself.
At the end of the discussion, the topic of artificial intelligence came up. Our position remains unchanged: AI is great at speeding up processes, but in the defence industry, an experienced linguist with a technical background must always have the final say. Machine translation without human post-editing is an unacceptable risk.
What did exporters and managers come to us with?
As part of our partner touchpoint, we explored a range of practical questions with companies. It quickly became clear that the most pressing challenges across the defence, IT, and engineering sectors are:
- Safety and operational documentation, where every word must comply with the standards.
- Export documents and certificates, where speed and formal correctness are crucial.
- Contracts and tender documents, where absolute accuracy is vital for intellectual property protection and meeting competitive bidding requirements.
- Interpreting at meetings, training sessions and delivery acceptance, where technically accurate vocabulary is the key.
Experience you can rely on
At České překlady we understand the specifics of the B2B segment. We understand that your documents require strict confidentiality – and that deadlines are often extremely tight. In technical fields, terminology, standards, and context are critical – even a single terminological inaccuracy can change the meaning of a safety instruction.
Are you planning an export project? Book a consultation with us.
We will show you how to set up the processes and terminology so that your documentation with the international partner goes through without delays, ensuring a successful contract handover.
