Barnsley becomes Britain’s first Tech Town, advancing AI adoption across services, skills, and digital construction nationwide.
Barnsley has been named the UK’s first government-backed Tech Town, placing artificial intelligence at the centre of public service reform, skills development and business growth. The programme aligns closely with the digital construction sector, where AI, data platforms and smart infrastructure are reshaping how towns plan, build and manage assets.
Announced by Science and Technology Secretary Liz Kendall, the initiative brings government, industry and local institutions together to demonstrate how AI adoption in towns can improve education, healthcare delivery and economic growth while supporting construction, infrastructure and digital delivery sectors.
The programme positions Barnsley as a national blueprint for AI-enabled regeneration, with lessons expected to inform digital transformation projects across the UK, including construction and built environment initiatives.
Government support accelerates AI adoption
Over the next 18 months, central government will work with Barnsley Council, local businesses, NHS services and education providers to embed AI into services while building digital capability among residents and workers.
Key measures include free AI and digital skills training delivered through Barnsley College and the South Yorkshire Institute of Technology. These programmes support retraining and career development, including opportunities relevant to digital construction, BIM delivery and smart infrastructure management.
Support for businesses will expand through the Seam Digital Campus, which hosts digital firms and will develop into an AI Campus centred on a National Centre for Digital Technologies. The campus will help companies adopt AI tools, scale operations and create skilled employment linked to data-driven construction and digital project delivery.
Infrastructure upgrades will also improve connectivity, public building technology and cybersecurity, enabling secure digital service use across the town while supporting smart asset management approaches used in construction and urban planning.
Improving lives with AI deployment
Barnsley Hospital will trial AI tools to support patient triage, appointment handling and outpatient services. Schools and colleges will also test AI and education technology tools designed to support learning while reducing administrative workload for teachers.
These developments link directly with digital construction objectives, where data integration and automation improve service delivery, infrastructure performance and operational efficiency in public estates.
The government’s wider AI programme also includes free national AI training aimed at upskilling ten million workers, designation of Lanarkshire as an AI Growth Zone, and £36 million investment in the UK’s AI Research Resource supercomputer.
Backing Barnsley’s Tech Town programme
Global technology companies including Microsoft, Cisco and Adobe have pledged initiatives to build AI and digital capability in Barnsley, supporting access to jobs in technology and data-enabled industries.
Liz Kendall said: “If we are going to get AI to work for Britain, we need Britons and British public services that can work with AI. If we can show AI helps young people learn, supports businesses and improves services, we can show what’s possible for the whole country.”
Barnsley Council Leader Sir Stephen Houghton CBE described the programme as transformative for the town’s economy, adding: “This is one of the most important investments in Barnsley in our history and will help secure our long-term economic future.”
South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard noted that Barnsley already hosts a growing digital ecosystem and said Tech Town status strengthens the region’s position within the UK technology economy.
UK Government AI Ambassador Simon Johnson added: “By putting this technology into the hands of local people, Barnsley can guide us to an AI-powered future that builds stronger communities.”
Community participation and future opportunities
Residents will help shape AI deployment through public “Tech Town Halls”, ensuring community input into how technology supports services and employment.
Barnsley has already trialled AI-supported services, including Microsoft Copilot for council operations and automation supporting social care teams. Future programmes include AI tutoring trials to support disadvantaged pupils, further reinforcing digital skills pipelines relevant to construction and engineering careers.
Expansion of the Seam Digital Campus will strengthen links between universities, investors and local firms, supporting AI adoption in sectors including digital construction, smart infrastructure delivery and asset management.
Barnsley’s Tech Town programme demonstrates how AI investment, digital construction skills, and community partnerships can deliver jobs, services, and infrastructure benefits across every UK region sustainably together.
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