diff --git a/src/soca/CMakeLists.txt b/src/soca/CMakeLists.txt
index 465873077..7b586daa7 100644
--- a/src/soca/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/soca/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ add_subdirectory(Increment)
 add_subdirectory(LinearVariableChange)
 add_subdirectory(Model)
 add_subdirectory(ModelBias)
+add_subdirectory(ModelData)
 add_subdirectory(ObsLocalization)
 add_subdirectory(State)
 add_subdirectory(Utils)
diff --git a/src/soca/ModelData/CMakeLists.txt b/src/soca/ModelData/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4170ad99d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/soca/ModelData/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+soca_target_sources(
+  ModelData.h
+)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/soca/ModelData/ModelData.h b/src/soca/ModelData/ModelData.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..04e09f204
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/soca/ModelData/ModelData.h
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+/*
+ * (C) Copyright 2023-2023 UCAR
+ *
+ * This software is licensed under the terms of the Apache Licence Version 2.0
+ * which can be obtained at http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0.
+ */
+
+#pragma once
+
+#include <string>
+#include "eckit/config/LocalConfiguration.h"
+#include "oops/util/Printable.h"
+
+namespace soca {
+  class Geometry;
+}
+
+// -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+namespace soca {
+
+class ModelData : public util::Printable {
+ public:
+  static const std::string classname() {return "soca::ModelData";}
+
+  explicit ModelData(const Geometry &) {}
+  ~ModelData() {}
+
+  const eckit::LocalConfiguration modelData() const {return eckit::LocalConfiguration();}
+
+ private:
+  void print(std::ostream & os) const {}
+};
+
+// -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+}  // namespace soca
diff --git a/src/soca/Traits.h b/src/soca/Traits.h
index 4bd7858ad..32d0f4463 100644
--- a/src/soca/Traits.h
+++ b/src/soca/Traits.h
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 #include "soca/ModelBias/ModelBias.h"
 #include "soca/ModelBias/ModelBiasCovariance.h"
 #include "soca/ModelBias/ModelBiasIncrement.h"
+#include "soca/ModelData/ModelData.h"
 #include "soca/State/State.h"
 #include "soca/VariableChange/VariableChange.h"
 
@@ -45,6 +46,7 @@ struct Traits {
 
   typedef soca::LinearVariableChange LinearVariableChange;
   typedef soca::VariableChange       VariableChange;
+  typedef soca::ModelData            ModelData;
 };
 
 }  // namespace soca