Barnsley becomes UK's first government-backed Tech Town

The government has confirmed Barnsley as the UK's first government-backed 'Tech Town', announcing plans to support digital training, healthcare and education projects and to work with local partners and tech firms over the next 18 months.

Barnsley has been confirmed as the UK's first government-backed Tech Town. The announcement on 3 February came from Technology Secretary Liz Kendall, who outlined government support for projects across education, health and local services. The programme will trial digital tools and offer training to help improve school support, NHS processes and business adoption of technology. Over the next 18 months the government says it will work with local leaders, educators, NHS staff and businesses to build local digital talent. Key details: - The announcement was made on 3 February by Technology Secretary Liz Kendall and presents Barnsley as a national pilot for digital rollouts. - Planned elements include free and digital training with Barnsley College and the South Yorkshire Institute of Technology, expansion of The Seam Digital Campus to support small businesses, and a National Centre for Digital Technologies initiative. - Health innovations will be tested with Barnsley Hospital to explore quicker check-ins, faster triage and smoother outpatient care, while schools will trial edtech to assess impacts on pupil outcomes and teacher workload. - The government has named tech partners including Cisco, Microsoft, Adobe and Google, and local groups such as Barnsley and Rotherham Chamber of Commerce and Barnsley CVS are set to be involved. - Residents will be invited to a series of Tech Town Halls to give feedback on how technology is used across the community. Summary: The programme is positioned to support local skills development, business adoption of technology and pilots of public-service improvements. Over the next 18 months government and local partners will run trials and host Tech Town Halls to test tools and gather public feedback. Officials say lessons from Barnsley could help shape how similar work is rolled out elsewhere in the UK.