Manufacturers' Information Hub targets 2029 wider launch, Constructing Excellence session hears

The Manufacturers' Information Hub (MIH), a not-for-profit gateway for construction product data, is working towards pilot projects, regional sandbox deployments and a wider launch targeted from 2029, Constructing Excellence reported from its latest Digital session.

Alex Small, founder of The MIH, presented the hub to the session as a manufacturer-led route connecting product manufacturers with contractors, designers, technology providers and asset managers through a single, interoperable connection, according to Constructing Excellence's write-up.

Under the model, manufacturers keep governing their information in their own systems. The hub translates it into standardised structures that authorised users and software platforms can access through secure connections. The MIH said on its website that manufacturers would need to make only one connection to supply product information.

Small said of the recently completed proof of concept: "At this first stage, we have demonstrated that it is technically feasible to offer this to market."

How the hub is designed

Constructing Excellence said the MIH draws on the travel sector's global distribution systems and is intended as infrastructure rather than a product search tool or central database.

Uses discussed at the session included digital product passports, automated compliance checks, building safety gateway submissions, carbon reporting, product traceability, asset management, digital building logbooks and circular-economy platforms.

The MIH is also exploring how existing assurance schemes, including the Code for Construction Product Information, could complement its role as a transfer platform, Constructing Excellence said.

Paul French, Saint-Gobain Interior Solutions head of digital construction, has previously said the hub should adopt the international standard on data structure, ISO 23387, according to an MIH release.

Proof of concept and timeline

The MIH announced on 28 September 2026 that the proof of concept for the digital gateway had been completed. It said the work outlined the process for connecting manufacturer databases via a standard API and set out the requirements for a standard data dictionary to validate and present information.

The proof of concept was supported by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) as part of its Industrialising and Digitalising Construction Research and Innovation Challenge. The MIH said in June 2026 that its team had three months to deliver the work to UKRI.

Melissa Zanocco OBE, Challenge Director: Growth Mission at UKRI, said: "It is positive to see manufacturers coming together to solve this issue."

The published timelines differ. Constructing Excellence's write-up refers to an initial proof of concept and minimum viable product being followed by pilots on priority products such as cement, structural steel, windows and insulation, then controlled regional sandbox deployments and a wider launch targeted from 2029.

The MIH's own 28 September release confirmed only the proof of concept as complete and said that, subject to funding, the next stage would include a working prototype with early adopters by spring 2027. In June 2026 the organisation said its timeline set a full launch in 2028.

Who is behind it

The MIH describes itself as a not-for-profit organisation set up by construction product manufacturers. It was formally launched in the UK at Digital Construction Week on 24 June 2025, with Fergus Harradence, Deputy Director, Construction, Logistics, Airports and Water at the Department for Business and Trade, speaking on the launch panel.

In June 2026 the MIH said it was backed by Bovis, Kier and Sir Robert McAlpine, and named Knauf, Sika, Etex, Siderise and Heidelberg Materials among its UK manufacturer supporters. It said it was also seeking funding from the EU.

The Manufacturers' Information Hub (UK) is registered at Companies House as company 16887975 and is listed as active, with a registered office in Curdridge, Southampton.

What happens next

Participants at the Constructing Excellence session said adoption would depend on clear benefits for every part of the supply chain, robust cyber security, behavioural and cultural change, and engagement with the people who will use the data.

In response, the MIH is developing user journeys and inviting information users to help shape future functionality, Constructing Excellence said. Its stated next milestone, subject to funding, is a working prototype with early adopters by spring 2027.