Barnsley is to become the first government-backed ‘Tech Town’ in the UK, with AI at the core of public services, healthcare, schools and jobs.
Tech giants Microsoft, Cisco and Adobe have backed the plans as the former South Yorkshire mining town looks to create a blueprint for the rest of the UK to follow.
The government said that today marks the start of a transformation designed to make life easier, fairer and more prosperous in Barnsley – from AI tools that help GPs triage patients quicker to new digital training for adults.
Over the next 18 months, the government says it will work closely with local business leaders, educators, NHS workers and more to train people for the jobs of the future, with local services ‘fit for the AI era’.
It said AI could ensure communities left behind by the economic changes of the 20th Century – such as the demise of the mining and manufacturing industries, in favour of a more service-based economy – can seize the benefits of the 21st.
Barnsley town centre has undergone an award-winning transformation recently, with The Glass Works bringing retail, leisure and culture together in the heart of the town.
The government has pledged to provide free AI and digital training through Barnsley College and the South Yorkshire Institute of Technology, with residents able to boost their career, retrain or learn something new.
The Seam Digital Campus will be expanded to give small and growing businesses hands‑on support to use new technology, scale up and create good local jobs. The Seam is already home to 33 digital businesses, with plans for it to become an AI Campus based around a new National Centre for Digital Technologies.
It will also partner with Barnsley Hospital to test AI tools that offer quicker check-ins, faster triage and smoother outpatient care.
AI and EdTech tools will also be supplied in schools and Barnsley College to improve evidence of the impact of technology on pupil outcomes, inclusion and reducing teacher workload.
On the infrastructure side, the town will use technology to plan public buildings and Wi‑Fi, as well as adding strong cybersecurity so people can use digital services with confidence and boosting connectivity.
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Microsoft and Cisco’s UK CEOs will join Technology Secretary Liz Kendall on a visit to Barnsley, to see the town’s digital and AI ambitions first-hand.
Key local organisations like Barnsley and Rotherham Chamber of Commerce and Barnsley CVS are also set to partner with the Tech Town initiative.
“One of the key missions in our Inclusive Economic Growth Strategy is for Barnsley to become the UK’s leading digital town,” said Barnsley Council Leader Sir Stephen Houghton CBE.
“Welcoming the Secretary of State to Barnsley to announce that we are the UK’s first Tech Town underlines our ambition and commitment to innovation which will benefit our residents, businesses and partners.
“This is one of the most important investments in Barnsley in our history and will help secure our long-term economic future.”
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