The Government’s commitment to the levelling up agenda was confirmed today as the Yorkshire Town of Barnsley is set to become the UK’s first government-backed Tech Town.
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall has set out plans to put the full heft of government behind the town’s rollout of AI across everything from education to health and more.
Tech Town status will position Barnsley as the UK’s trailblazer, acting as a national blueprint for how AI can improve everyday life. From AI tools that help GPs triage patients quicker, to new digital training for adults – today marks the start of a transformation designed to make like easier, fairer and more prosperous in Barnsley.
Over the next 18 months, government will work closely with local business leaders, educators, NHS workers and more to build local talent who can access the jobs of the future, and make local services fit for the AI era.
Unleashing AI’s potential to turbo-charge how we learn and upskill is a central part of Barnsley’s regeneration plans, and the government’s ambitions for the UK overall too. Barnsley is set to forge a path the rest of the country, could follow – one that makes sure communities left behind by the economic changes of the 20th century, can seize the benefits of the 21st.
Government will use its convening power to get leading tech companies involved in this work in Barnsley, with Microsoft and Cisco’s UK CEOs joining Kendall on a visit to Barnsley, to see the town’s digital and AI ambitions first-hand. Leading tech firms including Cisco, Microsoft, Adobe and Google are backing the plans – with all 3 pledging a package of initiatives to boost Barnsley’s AI and digital talent, so that people of all ages can build the skills that will help them access the jobs of the future in growing tech industries. Key local organisations like Barnsley and Rotherham Chamber of Commerce and Barnsley CVS are also set to partner the Tech Town initiative.
This follows a raft of government action last week to unleash AI’s potential as a force for national renewal: from the launch of free AI training for all as part of commitment to upskill 10 million UK workers, to the naming of Lanarkshire as the latest AI Growth Zone, as well as a £36 million investment to upgrade the AI Research Resource supercomputer in Cambridge.
Science and Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said:
I am delighted to have been invited by Barnsley, to work with them to achieve their ambition to become the UK’s leading tech town.
If we are going to get AI to work for Britain, we need Britons and British public services that can work with AI. That is why Barnsley’s ambitions are crucial, because if we can show that AI helps young people learn, supports local businesses to be more productive, and improves public services, then we can show what’s possible for the whole country.
What we learn here will shape how we roll out AI across the UK – making sure every community sees the benefits.
Barnsley Council Leader Sir Stephen Houghton CBE said:
One of the key missions in our Inclusive Economic Growth Strategy is for Barnsley to become the UK’s leading digital town. 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.
The Tech Town programme is where cutting-edge technology meets everyday usefulness. It will complement our existing plans at The Seam Digital Campus, including the National Centre for Digital Technologies, and the Health on the High Street programme, which is revolutionising how residents can access health and wellbeing services in Barnsley.
We’re looking forward to working with colleagues from DSIT, our residents and our partners to shape the programme to create safer, smarter public services and new opportunities for everyone to thrive in the emerging and fast-paced AI landscape, blazing a trail for the rest of the country to follow.
