Hundreds gather to power up South Yorkshire’s £3bn tech economy

Almost four hundred business leaders, investors, policymakers and tech enthusiasts visited the Cast Theatre in Doncaster on Monday 10th March 2025 for the South Yorkshire Tech Summit, an industry event to promote the growth of South Yorkshire’s tech sector.

Organised by TECH SY, a project to support and scale up South Yorkshire’s tech economy on behalf of the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, the Summit places a spotlight on the region’s tech sector, its strengths in manufacturing technologies, deep tech, software development, energy, healthtech, cleantech and the creative industries, and work being done to drive further success, investment and employment opportunities.

Data from Companies House, the register of British companies, indicates there are now around 5,000 active tech companies in South Yorkshire. It is estimated that they employ almost 20,000 people.

The value of South Yorkshire’s tech sector has increased by more than 700% in the last decade, according to a report unveiled at the Summit by data provider Dealroom. Combined, tech startups based in South Yorkshire were worth £3bn in 2024. This is eight times higher than in 2014, when the region’s tech economy was worth just £370m.

 

Speaking at Tech Summit, Oliver Coppard, Mayor of South Yorkshire, said: “Here in South Yorkshire, we are pioneers. We led the world into the first industrial revolution, and we'll do the same with the tech revolution. We have the world-leading businesses, the agile tech startups and the people to create good growth for our communities. The work of TECH SY and others will help us work with our northern partners to drive innovation and build a bigger and better economy in South Yorkshire.”

Opening the Summit, Tracey Johnson, Project Director of organisers TECH SY, said: “South Yorkshire is evolving from its industrial roots to a dynamic hub of tech and digital innovation. Our established industry strengths, skilled workforce, research facilities, place in the UK’s Northern Triangle and proximity to Europe’s largest tech hubs are driving sustained growth in the value of the home-grown startup base and attracting innovators and investors to the region. South Yorkshire is one of the most welcoming and collaborative places on the planet for startups, and we are working hard to make it the best possible entry point into the global tech economy.”

 

Mayor of Doncaster, Ros Jones, said: "Doncaster is poised to become a centre of excellence for AI. Today, we are proudly celebrating not only hosting the South Yorkshire Tech Summit 2025 at CAST, but also the submission of our UK AI Growth Zone application which presents a big opportunity for Doncaster and the South Yorkshire region. These milestones reflect our bold ambition and unwavering commitment to positioning Doncaster at the forefront of technological innovation”.

Damian Allen, Chief Executive of City of Doncaster Council and panellist, added: "Doncaster is immensely proud to host the South Yorkshire Tech Summit 2025, a testament to our ambition, innovation, and dynamic spirit. Building on our proud industrial roots, we are shaping a future as a leading tech destination with AI at its core. With construction set to begin soon on Gateway One—Doncaster’s £32 million flagship digital tech hub—we are accelerating the city’s growth in technology and AI”.

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Creative, digital and tech sector in Doncaster:

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