Talking 5 with Local Public Services Member Ayup Digital
This month's Talking 5 guest is Steven Taylor, Managing Director at Ayup Digital
Each month, techUK's Associate Director for Local Public Services, Georgina Maratheftis, interviews a member active in the local government space about their vision for the future of local public services and where digital can make a real difference to people and society. This month we talk with Steven Taylor, Managing Director at Ayup Digital.
Welcome, Steven! First up, tell us a bit about yourself—your career journey and how you got here.
I’m one of the co-founders of Ayup Digital, a Leeds-based digital consultancy focused on tech for good. My background spans creative digital, user-centred design, and public sector transformation. Before launching Ayup, I co-founded Raw Design Studio in 2007, where I worked on projects for big names like the Premier League, England & Wales Cricket Board, Wolves FC, Liverpool FC, and BBC Philharmonic.
My business partner, Mike Stephens, and I launched Ayup in 2015 where we wanted to focus on something more meaningful - helping organisations use digital to make a real impact. Over the years, we’ve worked with NHS teams, academic institutions, local authorities, and VCSEs of all sizes. We’re particularly experienced in digital signposting and making community service data work better for local government and health systems.
Lately, we’ve been focused on growing Ayup Connect, our platform designed to help councils and health services build interoperable, community-driven directories. It’s already live across multiple local authorities, and with new interactive digital screens for community spaces on the way, we’re scaling things up even further.
I’m passionate about open, collaborative approaches to digital transformation -using tech in a way that genuinely improves lives, strengthens communities, and makes services easier to access.
What’s the biggest opportunity for local government when it comes to digital?
One of the biggest opportunities is creating properly joined-up, user-centred services that make life easier for residents, communities, and frontline professionals. Too often, digital transformation can focus on fixing individual departments and systems rather than looking at the bigger picture - how people actually find and discover services and support.
If councils prioritise interoperability, structured data, and open standards like Open Referral UK, they can unlock the full potential of their local community ecosystems. That means services can work seamlessly together across health, social care, and community support.
Platforms like Ayup Connect show how digital can help bridge the gaps, making it easier for people to find the right support at the right time while reducing pressure on overstretched frontline teams. Investing in inclusive digital solutions, like community-driven directories, self-service tools, and public access points, means councils can drive efficiency, promote early intervention, and support those who struggle with digital access.
But it’s not just about the tech - it’s also about changing culture and ways of working. Open, collaborative digital approaches can break down silos and make services more responsive, cost-effective, and impactful. When local government truly embraces digital with a user-first mindset, it has the power to build stronger, healthier, and more resilient communities.
What’s your vision for the future of local public services and places?
The future of local public services should be connected, personalised, and community-driven. People shouldn’t have to jump through bureaucratic hoops to find support. Services should be designed around their real-world experiences. I see a future where digital and physical spaces work together, ensuring everyone, especially those who are digitally excluded, can access the help they need.
Technology should enhance, not replace, human connections. Ayup Connect already shows how structured, open data can improve service discovery and referrals. Taking this further, through interactive digital screens in public spaces, better integration with health and care systems, and AI-powered personalisation, would make accessing support even easier.
Local government also has the opportunity to move beyond traditional service delivery models and focus on co-designing solutions with communities. By investing in digital inclusion, interoperable systems, and participatory approaches, councils can help create places where people have more control and ownership over their own wellbeing.
Ultimately, the future is about shifting from siloed institutions to truly connected, resilient, and empowered communities. Digital is the enabler, but people and place must always come first.
Local Public Services Programme activities
Our Local Public Services Programme helps techUK members to navigate local government. We champion innovation that can create truly digital local public services helping to create thriving, productive and safer places for all. Visit the programme page here
Local Public Services Innovation Summit 2025
Attend techUK’s annual Local Public Services Innovation Summit where we will convene local authorities with tech industry to showcase good practise and facilitate greater collaboration between councils and industry.
Call for submissions: Get involved in techUK’s Local Public Services Innovation Awareness Day 2025
techUK members and local government stakeholders are invited to contribute to techUK’s Local Public Services Innovation Awareness Day with key initiatives, on 21 May.
We are partnering with the LGA to deliver a webinar as part of Women's History Month, where we will be hearing from women leaders in both local government and techUK members on their career journeys, barriers they have overcome and what both the tech and local government sector can learn from each other to continue increasing women representation and progression across our sectors.
Join us to hear more about their digital strategy, initiatives, their ambitions for the future and how you can get involved. We will be joined by Heather Clark (Economics), Head of City Economy and External Funding Strategy at City of Wolverhampton Council.
Do you have a trailblazer in your team?
Do you work with an innovator or a problem solver?
Do you have an inspirational colleague who deserves the spotlight for their work? The President’s Awards are back for 2025 and open for nominations. All techUK members are encouraged to nominate one colleague.
Our members develop strong networks, build meaningful partnerships and grow their businesses as we all work together to create a thriving environment where industry, government and stakeholders come together to realise the positive outcomes tech can deliver.
Alison Young is the Associate Director Local Public Services.
Alison has background in International Trade & Investment, with experience in the public, private and third sector, advising on international trade, new markets, inward investment and working closely with UK cities and regions around investment into innovation and partnerships and technology. Prior to joining techUK, she has her own consulting business and was Head of Global Investment with the Connected Places Catapult. This role had a focus on FDI around the built environment and mobility, working across NetZero mobility projects in the UK and globally. She worked closely with the Innovation Districts Group, to foster and network of knowledge sharing and helped set up the Freeport Innovation Network, to foster innovation in the context of freeports with a focus on investment.
She spent six years living and working in the Middle East, with the Department for Business and Trade. Based first in Oman, leading on a number of sectors, from Education to Infrastructure, then based in the UAE, setting up the Technology and Smart Cities sector, with a core focus on AI and Fintech.
She is passionate about economic growth for the UK, to create jobs and opportunities; the green agenda and the decarbonisation of transport. She has a degree in Russian Studies MA, from the University of Edinburgh and is currently learning Arabic.
Programme Manager, Local Public Services and Nations and Regions, techUK
Ileana Lupsa
Programme Manager, Local Public Services and Nations and Regions, techUK
Ileana Lupsa is the Programme Manager for Local Public Services and Nations and Regions, at techUK.
Ileana studied electronics, telecommunications and IT as an undergraduate, followed by an MSc in engineering and project management at Coventry University.
She refined her programme management expertise through her most recent roles working in the automotive industry.
Ileana is passionate about sustainability and creating a positive impact globally through innovation.
Tracy supports several areas at techUK, including Cyber Exchange, Cyber Security, Defence, Health and Social Care, Local Public Services, Nations and Regions and National Security.
Tracy joined techUK in March 2022, having worked in the education sector for 19 years, covering administration, research project support, IT support and event/training support. My most outstanding achievement has been running three very successful international conferences and over 300 training courses booked all over the globe!
Tracy has a great interest in tech. Gaming and computing have been a big part of her life, and now electric cars are an exciting look at the future. She has warmed to Alexa, even though it can sometimes be sassy!
Georgina is techUK’s Associate Director for Local Public Services
Georgina works with suppliers that are active or looking to break into the market as well as with local public services to create the conditions for meaningful transformation. techUK regularly bring together local public services and supplier community to horizon scan and explore how the technologies of today and tomorrow can help solve some of the most pressing problems our communities face and improve outcomes for our people and places.
Prior to techUK, Georgina worked for a public policy events company where she managed the policy briefing division and was responsible for generating new ideas for events that would add value to the public sector. Georgina worked across a number of portfolios from education, criminal justice, and health but had a particular interest in public sector transformation and technology. Georgina also led on developing relationships across central and local government.
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