The Manufacturers Information Hub (The MIH) was formally launched in the UK at Digital Construction Week.
It was launched during a panel discussion with Fergus Harradence, deputy director, Construction, Logistics, Airports and Water, Department for Business and Trade, joined by Brian Glancy and Alex Small of the MIH, Cristina Sánchez Jiménez of Bovis and Gareth Parkes of Sir Robert McAlpine.
The aim of the initiative is to develop a single gateway for construction product information. Its founders have urged manufacturers to join the initiative to help shape the Hub’s development.
According to Alex Small, the Hub 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 and the whole supply chain, he noted.
During the panel session, Fergus Harradence pointed out some benefits of the Hub for the government’s objectives to modernise the sector:
- Construction relies on the coordination of many parts; this will only happen efficiently if the whole supply chain is digitised.
- Improving our digital information management processes can only help attract talent to the sector.
- Digitised construction product information will also deliver sustainability benefits and will be essential for the delivery of Digital Product Passports.
The design and construction representatives on the panel emphasised the benefits to the sector. Alongside the ability to meet client requirements for sustainability information, Gareth Parkes highlighted the many opportunities that contractors would have of using reliable product data, including configuring site operations more reliably. Cristina Sánchez Jiménez saw the initiative as an opportunity to unify the industry and streamline the process of information management.
The Hub has launched a website and encouraged manufacturers to express interest in participating in the development of the Hub.
Alex said: “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. 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.”
