Not Bavaria, but Franconia. 2 hours north of Munich, 2 hours east of Frankfurt, 3 hours west of Prague, just over 4 hours south of Berlin. Just to get your bearings a bit.

My choice is also based on the intersection of several cardinal points: clients, people I'm friendly with, possibly future friends, the university where I'll enroll, the Franconian Switzerland for climbing, Garmisch and the lakes for winter tourism.

There's exactly one month left. First, at the end of September, I'll take the train and my bicycle, arrive in the city, pick up the apartment keys, do some shopping to personalize it, take some walks from home to familiarize myself with the area, identify useful services, explore the routes to walk. Then, on October 1st, 2025, I'll make my first car trip. I plan to use the car as little as possible. After years of obligatory car journeys, living in a hillside village in Italy, I can't wait to be able to move around on foot or by public transport.

As a translator, I've always been torn between the necessity of living in the country of the target language (my mother tongue, Italian), and the necessity of being geographically close to my clients or potential clients. I believe that at this moment the second option might pay off more. I'll give myself six months to understand if it could work for me, to develop new habits, to network in a different way.

Abrissparty is what they say in German for a farewell party in a house that will be demolished or renovated, during which the house is vandalised. I, on the contrary, have no intention of vandalising my memories in this house, in this land. So, in September I'll say goodbye to my friends, stock up on books in Italian, bid farewell to the cities and valleys and mountains.

This journey is more than just a geographical change; it's an experiment, a conscious decision to develop myself professionally and personally. Sometimes you have to find the courage to leave familiar paths in order to discover new possibilities. Nuremberg won't just be my new place of residence, but also a laboratory for new encounters and projects.

The anticipation definitely outweighs the nervousness. In just a few weeks, a new chapter begins, with all its challenges and surprises.

Curious about my next steps in Germany? Feel free to check out "Contact" to find out which events and gatherings I'll be attending in the coming months. Perhaps we'll meet somewhere between Nuremberg and your city!

If your software localisation project has ever gone off track, the root cause probably wasn’t just mistranslations or tight deadlines. More often, failures happen when linguistic accuracy is prioritised over domain understanding, user experience, or long-term consistency.

In August 2023, I joined a medical software localisation project already underway. The product was a Class IIa medical device used to generate structured endoscopy reports, marketed as “NXD” in countries including Italy, France, and Spain. Originally developed in German and English, it now needed to sound native and clinically precise in Italian.

The client couldn’t afford ambiguity. Nor could they afford a localisation partner who only focused on words. That’s where I came in.

Laying the foundations: Terminology, standards, and consistency

The project began with MST 3.0—the Minimal Standard Terminology for gastrointestinal pathology. This is more than just jargon. MST provides the structured language doctors expect when describing medical findings. Accuracy here directly impacts patient safety and system usability.

I used MemoQ to develop a working glossary from MST 3.0, translating with reference to specialist sources like Prometheus’ anatomy atlas and the SIED’s medical guidance. I also localised medical classification systems such as Paris, Kudo, and Los Angeles, ensuring the Italian versions reflected the same clinical rigour as the source.

Making the language work for users

Project Managers know that a “correct” translation can still fail if it feels clumsy, inconsistent, or unnatural in context.

Once the terminology was complete, I turned to refining the software’s semantic data model. I restructured phrases for natural fluency, adjusted adjectives for gender accuracy, and conducted targeted testing to eliminate errors and discrepancies. Every adjustment was made with the end user in mind—doctors using the system in real time.

Keeping pace with shifting priorities

As the Endolive Roma trade fair approached, the pressure increased. I scaled up my hours to ensure all localisation, testing, and marketing materials were complete and ready to support the launch. That included translating a sales brochure in addition to the main product content.

At the same time, I worked proactively to reduce the workload on the internal localisation manager, solving issues independently and testing changes thoroughly. The client was able to stay focused on preparing for the event, confident that their Italian version was accurate and ready.

A takeaway for project managers

If you’re managing a medical software localisation project, the safest option isn’t always the biggest agency or the cheapest rate. It’s someone who understands the stakes, respects the subject matter, and contributes to your workflow—not just your word count.

This collaboration led to a clean, fully localised, and market-ready product that could be confidently presented to clinicians and stakeholders in Italy.

Looking for support with your next localisation project?
Let’s ensure your software speaks the language—accurately, naturally, and reliably.
📧 cecilia@lollitranslation.com