The Manufacturers’ Information Hub has completed the proof-of-concept stage for its proposed digital gateway for construction product information, moving the manufacturer-led project towards a working prototype. The not-for-profit initiative is designed to connect manufacturers’ existing information systems with contractors, designers, specifiers, asset owners and digital platforms through standardised interfaces. Material supplied to London Construction Magazine says the next phase, subject to funding, is intended to produce a small-scale working prototype with early adopters by spring 2027.
From left: Paul French, engagement lead; Alex Small, project lead; Su Butcher, communications lead and Chris Evett, technical lead at the Manufacturers’ Information Hub. Image supplied by the Manufacturers’ Information Hub.
How the Manufacturers’ Information Hub is intended to work
The Manufacturers’ Information Hub, known as the MIH, is not intended to become another central database of construction products. Instead, the proposed portal will connect to manufacturers’ existing product information systems and make selected information available through standardised interfaces. The distinction matters. Manufacturers will continue to retain responsibility for the validity and accuracy of their product information, while controlling who can access and use it. The hub is therefore intended to improve the route through which information is exchanged rather than independently certify the underlying product data.
The proof of concept examined how manufacturer databases could connect through a standard API, how a common data dictionary could be used to validate and present information, and how product information could then be accessed by users across the construction supply chain.
Alex Small, founder and project lead of the MIH, said: “At this first stage, we have demonstrated that it is technically feasible to offer this to market.” Information supplied to LCM lists manufacturers including Knauf, Sika, Etex, Siderise, Heidelberg Materials, Wienerberger, Kingspan, Saint-Gobain and Tata Steel UK among current UK supporters, alongside Kier, Bovis and Sir Robert McAlpine. LCM has previously examined the growing burden of verifying construction product information as building-safety requirements tighten.
Why product data is becoming a regulatory issue
The project is developing while government policy is moving towards more structured and traceable digital construction product information. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s 2026 Construction Products Reform White Paper says construction product information should increasingly be available digitally in interoperable formats. It proposes unique product identifiers, digital access to up-to-date information and future digital product records as part of wider reform of the construction products regime.
The White Paper also identifies limited product traceability as a current weakness, particularly where project teams need to establish whether products installed on site match those assessed for regulatory conformity.
That creates a direct delivery issue for contractors and designers. Access to a manufacturer's current information does not itself prove that the correct product has been selected, installed in the correct configuration or supported by the required project evidence. It could, however, remove one layer of fragmentation by giving project systems a more consistent route back to manufacturer-controlled product information. That distinction is particularly relevant to higher-risk building delivery. LCM has previously examined how Golden Thread systems can still contain evidence gaps where records cannot demonstrate who made a decision, what changed and whether the supporting information remains reliable.
The Manufacturers’ Information Hub is designed to connect manufacturer product information systems with specifiers, regulators, contractors, building logbooks and asset management systems. Image supplied by the Manufacturers’ Information Hub.
Digital product records are moving closer
The Department for Business and Trade is separately considering how digital product records could operate more widely across the UK economy. Its Digital Product Record policy call for evidence, published in July 2026, is examining transparency, traceability, interoperability and the effect of emerging EU Digital Product Passport requirements on UK businesses. For construction products specifically, the Government has said it intends to develop digital standards and explore how digital product records or an equivalent system could be phased in as the reformed regulatory regime develops.
The MIH therefore sits alongside regulatory work rather than replacing it. Its own published development roadmap says the proof of concept was completed in mid-2026 and that the project is moving towards a minimum viable product and real-world demonstrator projects with manufacturers and main contractors.
There is a timing distinction worth noting. The MIH website currently describes 2026 as its minimum viable product phase, 2027 as a scaling and real-world pilot phase and 2028 as the planned wider launch. The latest material supplied to LCM says, subject to funding, a working prototype for early adopters is targeted for spring 2027, followed by broader prototype testing during 2027 and some platform functionality in 2028. LCM is therefore treating spring 2027 as the latest stated target for the next working prototype, not as a confirmed full launch date.
For Tier 1 contractors, the practical value will depend on whether structured manufacturer data can be connected cleanly with specifications, procurement records, installation evidence, asset information and project change control. That sits alongside the wider supply-chain evidence pressure already examined in LCM’s analysis of Tier 1 contractor supply-chain compliance audits. The next stated step is development of the working prototype with early adopters, subject to funding. No exact date for full operational deployment has been publicly confirmed beyond the MIH’s current 2028 launch roadmap.
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Expert Verification & Authorship: Mihai Chelmus Founder & Editor, London Construction Magazine | Construction Testing & Investigation Specialist |