Shaping the Future of Barrow
OVERVIEW
In line with our Towards 2030 strategy, it is our long-term, strategic intent of being a university in Barrow and for Barrow.
We continue to break down barriers and create new opportunities to address the skills need of county and region, and align to the significant role Barrow-in-Furness has in the UK’s infrastructure.
Our University of Cumbria Barrow campus is being developed in partnership with Furness College, BAE Systems, Westmorland & Furness Council and others including Lancaster University and local businesses.
The campus signifies the benefits and value of higher education for learners, businesses and the area.
Symbolic of the birth of Barrow as a university town, our campus is at the heart of the new Barrow Learning Quarter.
Transforming the educational landscape, Barrow Learning Quarter offer new opportunities for local people and learners who want to progress through further and higher education. Offering a university campus and a new skills hub for sixth form students, the Barrow Learning Quarter will help upskill and reskill the workforce now and in the future.
The Learning Quarter is part of a Barrow-wide programme of seven innovative projects funded by UK Government under the #BrilliantBarrow Town Deal. Together, they will transform the Barrow area and ensure it thrives as a great place to live, work and study.
Our campus will support Barrow’s economic, skills, cultural and social future development, expanding people’s understanding of the town’s vital role in the UK’s future plans for growth, energy, security, and public services.
OPENING
Covering 2.76 hectares, our University of Cumbria Barrow campus is expected to welcome its first students on site in September 2025.
IMPACT
With its famed submarine and maritime skills and expertise, Barrow is one of the UK’s most significant advanced manufacturing centre and one of the country’s key industrial locations.
We and our partners - including those within Brilliant Barrow and Team Barrow - have shared ambitions. Namely, to grow and develop to meet the needs of the region and those who live, work and study in it and ensure that Barrow has the infrastructure in place so that the town can meet the future skills needs of employers.
As part of the Barrow Learning Quarter, our University of Cumbria Barrow campus will allow for a joined-up approach from secondary education into employment, further and higher education.
The Barrow Learning Quarter will improve prospects for those, particularly young people, growing up in the area, helping to increase the numbers entering higher education and seeking careers.
It will transform educational outcomes and help retain young Cumbrian talent and graduates with much-needed high-level skills for our region.
Our academics are working with partners in the area to identify and co-create a range of university-level and degree programmes for learners that are inclusive and accessible for all. The first programmes focus on undergraduate opportunities to study Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science and Adult Nursing, with more to follow.
Together with our growing innovative research offering, Barrow will also benefit from our expertise and programmes in postgraduate and Continuing Professional Development (CPD), particularly in areas such as health, supply chain and logistics, and Project Management.
The Barrow Learning Quarter will allow for a joined-up approach from secondary education into employment, further and higher education.
Famed for its submarine and maritime skills and expertise, Barrow is one of the nation’s most significant advanced manufacturing clusters and a key industrial asset for the UK. The Barrow Learning Quarter will improve future prospects for those, particularly young people, growing up in the area, helping to increase the numbers entering higher education.
Creating a full university presence in Barrow that attracts and retains talented graduates with high-level skills is vital for the area. Our academics are working with partners to identify and design a range of degree-level programmes for learners ranging from digital and cyber security to project management and supply chain and logistics.
DESIGN
Inspired by its location and links to Barrow’s history, the campus design incorporates a two-storey building with curved roof line, reminiscent of the surface of a submarine.
With its waterside position overlooking Buccleuch Dock, the design incorporates glazing to maximise natural light into the building; social space and green infrastructure; and adaptable and specialist teaching spaces.
We look forward to adding to the vibrancy and vitality of Barrow and wider region.
BRILLIANT BARROW
We have a once in a generation opportunity to secure a major investment for our town.