Introducing the Manufacturing Digital Passport (MDP): A New Concept for Realising Digital Thread Data Sharing in Aerospace and Complex Manufacturing

In the current data-driven era, effective data sharing is set to unlock billions in value for aerospace and complex manufacturing and their supply chains by enhancing product quality, boosting manufacturing and operational efficiency, and generating new value streams. However, current practices are hindered by fragmented data ecosystems, isolated silos, and reliance on paper-based documentation. Although the Digital Thread (DTh) initiative holds promise, its implementation remains impractical due to interoperability challenges, security and intellectual property risks, and the inherent difficulty of capturing and managing the overwhelming volume of data in such complex products as a holistic thread. This paper introduces the Manufacturing Digital Passport (MDP), a novel industry-driven concept that employs a product-centric, system-independent digital carrier to facilitate targeted, structured sharing of technical product data across the supply chain. The conceptual contribution of this work is the analytical formalisation of the MDP as a value-oriented carrier that shifts DTh thinking from costly, system-wide interoperability toward an incremental, ROI-driven record of lifecycle data. Rooted in real-world challenges and built on foundational principles of modularity, value creation, and model-based structures, the MDP, by design, enhances traceability, security, and trust through a bottom-up, incremental, use case-driven approach. The paper outlines its benefits through core design principles, definition, practical features, and integration strategies with legacy systems, laying the groundwork for a structured adoption roadmap in high-value manufacturing ecosystems.