Manufacturers Information Hub (MIH)

In January 2025 a consortium headed up by Tata Steel, Saint-Gobain and Kingspan, announced that they were developing a product information hub that could address the Grenfell Inquiry’s call for a construction data library. With a minimum viable product (MVP) version of the hub potentially ready in 2026. Construction management later reported in its article Construction product manufacturers develop information hub that the group consisted of Tata Steel, Saint-Gobain and Swansea University.

The announcement stated that "BAM and Kier are among the major contractors keen to test the hub" Tata Steel digital platforms and innovation lead Alex Small went on to say that he had "presented the hub proposal to several government departments, which are keen on it. Small has secured £50,000 to scope out the requirements and understand the cost, the timeframe and the complexity in building the hub, and he is in discussions with an un-named government department to secure funding to develop an MVP, which if secured quickly enough could lead to an MVP being ready by the summer of 2025."

The Manufacturers Information Hub (The MIH) was formally launched in the UK at Digital Construction Week, at a panel discussion with Fergus Harradence, Deputy Director, Construction, Logistics, Airports and Water, Department for Business and Trade joined by Cristina Sánchez Jiménez of Bovis, Gareth Parkes of Sir Robert McAlpine and Brian Glancy and Alex Small of the MIH, it was reported by the hub itself. The Hub, according to Alex Small (Tata), is the first time manufacturers have come together to create software directly for the built environment and construction sector. Its many-to-one, one-to-many solution will make the process of sharing accurate product information easier for manufacturers but also for the whole supply chain who spend countless hours seeking out and validating product information. “We already have over 30 manufacturers on board, together with support from Construction Products Europe and five national construction products associations including the CPA in the UK,” said Alex Small. “Many of our founding manufacturers are well-known brands. We hope to publish their names shortly, and urge manufacturers across Europe to contact us direct if they wish to join the first tranche of members.” In January 2026 this was the last news item on the Hub website.

For further information visit https://www.themih.org/.

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