The National Eisteddfod’s Science and Technology Medal was awarded in Wrecsam to Dewi Bryn Jones, a leading pioneer of language and speech technologies for the Welsh language
Over recent years, Dewi has done more than anyone else to develop computational linguistic resources and tools for Welsh, enabling the public to use the language on computers and in digital communication. The technology he has developed also supports disabled people and individuals with additional needs to communicate in Welsh.
Dewi leads a team of software developers at the Language Technologies Unit at Canolfan Bedwyr, Bangor University. His vision and contributions have driven innovative developments in Welsh writing, speech, and machine translation technologies.
The Science and Technology Medal was established in 2004 to recognize the contributions of individuals to the field through the medium of Welsh. The first recipient was Professor Glyn O. Phillips, a chemist from Wrexham.
Professor Delyth Prys, former head of the technology unit, said: “The award is thoroughly deserved by Dewi. I would go so far as to say that without Dewi’s contribution, we wouldn’t have Welsh-language software today.”
Professor Deri Tomos, a former recipient of the Medal, added: “This unit is vital to the future of the language. Dewi lives in the world of computers – it’s a core part of his life, and I’m sure he’s delighted with this honour.”
Dewi was born in Pwllheli and, after graduating in Computer Science from the University of York, worked in Cambridge, Zurich, and Helsinki. In Finland, he began translating and localizing Netscape Navigator software before returning to Wales to work with Draig Technology Ltd, where he developed the To Bach program.
Since 2002, he has been part of the Language Technologies Unit at Canolfan Bedwyr, leading developments such as Cysill, Cysgeir, the National Terminology Portal, and digital versions of Welsh dictionaries. He has also been a pioneer in speech technology, including creating synthetic voices for people who cannot speak, and developing the Lleisiwr app for NHS patients.
Dewi has also integrated this technology to create Macsen – the first personal assistant in Welsh – and has contributed significantly to Mozilla’s Common Voice project.
He lectures on the Master’s course in Language Technologies at Bangor University and supervised the first PhD in the field through the medium of Welsh. He was also responsible for writing the Language Technologies Handbook – the first of its kind in Welsh.