The PMD Core Ontology (PMDco) is a comprehensive framework for representing knowledge that encompasses fundamental concepts from the domains of materials science and engineering (MSE). The PMDco has been designed as a mid-level ontology to establish a connection between specific MSE application ontologies and the domain neutral concepts found in established top-level ontologies. The primary goal of the PMDco is to promote interoperability between diverse domains. PMDco s class structure is both understandable and extensible, making it an efficient tool for organizing MSE knowledge. It serves as a semantic intermediate layer that unifies MSE knowledge representations, enabling data and metadata to be systematically integrated on key terms within the MSE domain. With PMDco, it is possible to seamlessly trace data generation. The design of PMDco is based on the W3C Provenance Ontology (PROV-O), which provides a standard framework for capturing the generation, derivation, and attribution of resources. By building on this foundation, PMDco facilitates the integration of data from various sources and the creation of complex workflows. In summary, PMDco is a valuable tool for researchers and practitioners in the MSE domains. It provides a common language for representing and sharing knowledge, allowing for efficient collaboration and promoting interoperability between diverse domains. Its design allows for the systematic integration of data and metadata, enabling seamless traceability of data generation. Overall, PMDco is a crucial step towards a unified and comprehensive understanding of the MSE domain. PMDco at GitHub: https://github.com/materialdigital/core-ontology