Construction work starts next month on £32m ‘Gateway One’ development, as part of local council’s ambitions to grow digital and tech cluster
Located next to the train station in the South Yorkshire city of Doncaster, the new Gateway One development begins construction in April 2025. The 4,830 m2 Grade A office building – Doncaster’s new digital tech hub – is expected to be completed by January 2027.
Partners across business, industry and South Yorkshire are working together on the Gateway One project, photo courtesy of City of Doncaster Council
The new development is part of wider ambitions to grow a nationally significant digital and tech cluster in Doncaster. The new, specialist digital tech hub and the businesses located at Gateway One will focus on digital technology. Global AI firm Automatic Analytics has already been confirmed as one of the first businesses to take up residence.
When completed, the new building will span five floors, with two commercial units on the ground floor which incorporate alfresco dining. There will also be an area of public open space. The development has been designed to achieve net zero carbon emissions.
The £32m development project is largely funded by central government through the Doncaster Town Deal fund. It’s overseen by the town deal board, a sub-group of the new city centre board.
Mayor of Doncaster, Ros Jones, says: ‘This pioneering building – right in the heart of Doncaster city centre at the train station gateway – is part of our plans to regenerate and modernise key areas of the city centre. Our aim is to create a new digital hub which will bring exciting new opportunities for Doncaster including jobs, economic growth, increased footfall and put Doncaster at the forefront of the changing economy and technological change as we strive to become a regional Artificial Intelligence (AI) Growth Zone.
‘We want Doncaster to become a front runner in digital technology and we are already fast emerging as a centre of excellence for artificial intelligence (AI). This building will act as a magnet for leading digital and tech companies looking for opportunities to scale and grow their business to locate in Doncaster. The building will be a modern environment with improved public spaces and an extension to the recently regenerated railway forecourt.’
Chris Yates, Yorkshire Director at construction company Willmott Dixon, adds: ‘Our team of local commercial experts will bring a wealth of experience and innovation to Gateway One. In partnership with City of Doncaster Council, we will create a cutting-edge and sustainable hub where digital and technology businesses can thrive and grow in this city.
‘We’re passionate that innovation will be a catalyst for creating opportunities for the people of Doncaster, so, in partnership with our proud local supply chain partners, we are committed to creating six new employment opportunities directly on the project. Through our bespoke ‘Building Lives Academy’ initiatives in collaboration with Advance Employment Hub, we also aim to deliver more than 650 hours of impactful employment support for local people furthest from the job market, those at risk of redundancy and those looking to transition into the construction industry.’
Tariq Shah OBE, CEO of Vigo Group, says: ‘This has been a great example of partnership working with colleagues across Doncaster’s public and private sectors supporting the bid for Town Deal funding. From the outset the aim was to deliver a high-quality development that kick started regeneration of the Station Gateway area and set the quality standards for new investment into Doncaster on this important gateway site.’
Mark Taylor, CEO and Founder of Automated Analytics, adds: ‘We are proud to be the anchor tenants of Gateway One as the opportunity to network, collaborate and scale in the City’s Innovation Hub is key to our growth and putting Doncaster firmly on the global map for technology and Artificial Intelligence. There is a ’secret sauce’ in Doncaster that enables impossible to become reality, and we look forward to the exciting next chapter that awaits with Gateway One the next milestone in Doncaster becoming a Centre of Excellence for Artificial Intelligence.’
In related news:
Greater Manchester’s Bee Network launches new payment system tech
UEL on course for net zero with River Thames-powered heat pump
£1m for West Midlands 5G manufacturing boost and social care transformation
Leave a Reply