Aerospace and complex manufacturing organisations generate vast amounts of data throughout product design, manufacturing, operation, maintenance and end of life. However, this data is often fragmented across different systems, organisations and supply-chain tiers.
When data becomes separated from its original context, history and supporting evidence, it can be difficult to interpret, verify and reuse as trusted information. This can contribute to duplicated activities, repeated inspections, inefficient handovers and slower engineering and assurance decisions.
The MDP proposes a product-centric and system-independent digital thread for connecting lifecycle information around the product itself. It is designed to preserve the context, provenance, traceability and evidence needed to transform fragmented records into trusted and reusable lifecycle intelligence.
In practice, the MDP could help organisations reduce duplicated activities, strengthen product assurance, improve supply-chain handovers and provide clearer evidence for audits and regulatory decisions. It is also designed to support controlled information sharing while maintaining security, protecting commercial confidentiality and intellectual property.
The initiative emerged from research undertaken through the Airbus-led DELTA programme and has been shaped through industry workshops, organisational visits and engagement with aerospace and advanced manufacturing stakeholders.
The MDP initiative is supported by the Department for Business and Trade, the Aerospace Technology Institute and Innovate UK.
Dr Mohammed M. Mabkhot, Senior Research Fellow in Aerospace Digitalisation at the AVRRC, who leads the research and development of the MDP initiative, said:
“The MDP emerged from direct engagement with industry and the need for more trustworthy and connected lifecycle information. Our ambition is to work across the aerospace and manufacturing ecosystem to develop practical approaches that improve traceability, assurance and decision-making, while maintaining security and protecting intellectual property.”
The Centre has launched the MDP Network to support the next stage of development.
Through the Network, organisations will gain early access to emerging research findings, practical use cases and implementation insights. Members will also be able to connect with researchers, technology providers and industry partners working at the forefront of trusted lifecycle intelligence, contribute their own challenges and help shape future MDP developments, workshops and collaborative activities.
Meet the team at Farnborough International Airshow
The MDP initiative will be showcased at Farnborough International Airshow from 20 to 24 July 2026.
Visitors are invited to meet the AVRRC team at Stand 0675, Hall 0, to discuss their lifecycle information challenges, explore potential applications of the MDP and identify opportunities for research and industry collaboration.
Find out more
Read the MDP white paper here
Join the MDP Network here
Advanced Virtual Reality Research Centre (AVRRC)
For further information, contact Dr Mohammed M. Mabkhot at (M.Mabkhot@lboro.ac.uk) or Dr Pedro Ferreira (P.Ferreira@lboro.ac.uk).