Barnsley Named Britain’s First Tech Town in National AI Expansion
US technology giants join government plan to roll out artificial intelligence across schools, healthcare, and local business
Barnsley Named Britain’s First Tech Town in National AI Expansion
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Barnsley has been given a new identity. After years of searching for a post industrial future, the South Yorkshire town is now being promoted as Britain’s first Tech Town.
The designation comes as part of the government’s wider push to embed artificial intelligence into everyday life. Technology secretary Liz Kendall announced that Microsoft, Google, Cisco and Adobe will work with Barnsley council to support the use of AI in schools, hospitals, GP surgeries and local businesses.
Barnsley, home to around two hundred and fifty thousand people, has faced long term economic challenges since the closure of its coal industry. Ministers say the town has been selected because it has already moved faster than many areas in adopting AI tools.
The council has been using AI assistants within adult social care and children’s services for several years. Bin lorries are now equipped with technology that scans roads for potholes. Logistics firm Evri, which operates one of its largest distribution hubs in Barnsley, has also been testing robot dogs for deliveries.
Under the Tech Town programme, residents will be offered free AI and digital skills training. Businesses will receive support to integrate AI into their operations. Local hospitals will trial AI for patient check in, triage and outpatient services. AI tools will also be introduced in schools and at Barnsley College to improve attainment and reduce teacher workload.
Sir Stephen Houghton, leader of Barnsley metropolitan borough council, said the collapse of the town’s traditional industries three decades ago left a lasting economic scar.
“This is the biggest opportunity we have had since then. The future economy will be built around technology, and Barnsley being at the centre of that matters enormously,” he said.
Questions remain about how the partnerships with large technology firms will be funded. Houghton said the council will not be paying the companies, and it is unclear whether government funding will be involved. Microsoft already works with Barnsley College and, along with Google and Cisco, is understood to be contributing on a pro bono basis.
Not everyone is convinced. Local opposition figures have warned that rebranding Barnsley as a Tech Town may feel ambitious, and they point to public concern about whether AI will ultimately help or harm jobs and communities.
Kendall said Barnsley will act as a national testbed.
“If AI can help young people learn better, make local businesses more productive, and improve public services, then we can show what is possible for the whole country,” she said. “What we learn in Barnsley will shape how AI is rolled out across the UK.”
The announcement comes amid criticism of the government’s broader AI training plans. A recently launched national programme aimed at upskilling ten million people was found to include courses tied to specific companies, high priced training options, and material promoting individual corporate AI approaches.
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