Digital Product Passport: From Systems to Ecosystems Europe has made substantial progress in defining Digital Product Passport (DPPs) and its standards to enable circular economy. The next question is bigger: how do we transform technical interoperability into trusted collaboration across sectors, value chains, and international markets? The DPP4EU 2026 Conference & CE-RISE Annual Event In Spring 2026, Brussels became the capital of the Digital Product Passport (DPP) community as researchers, policymakers, industry representatives, standardisation experts, and technology providers gathered for the DPP4EU 2026 Conference and the CE-RISE Annual Event. Elliana Jensen-Abieva, CSCP Senior Expert joined the panel discussion on Research Priorities for Effective EU-Wide Digital Product Passport Deployment. “Thanks to the work of standardisation bodies and numerous EU-funded research projects, many of the foundations for DPP implementation are now in place. However, the next phase will require even closer collaboration across sectors and value chains.”, notes Elliana. What standardisation means for companies A key discussion topic was how companies can avoid facing different reporting methodologies for the same sustainability information as DPP requirements expand across sectors such as batteries, textiles, electronics, and construction products. Ensuring interoperability while keeping implementation practical for businesses remains a key challenge. Another key topic was the transition from focusing on individual DPP systems toward creating trusted DPP ecosystems. Beyond technology, this includes governance, data sharing, stakeholder collaboration, and international alignment. Toward a shared vision for global DPP standards The discussions also generated excitement around the upcoming work of JTC 5- ISO/JTC 5 develops horizontal international standards for Digital Product Passports, creating a common global framework of terminology, principles, and architecture to ensure interoperability and avoid fragmented national approaches, which is expected to play an important role in supporting interoperability across industries and regions worldwide. Building on the achievements of JTC 24, participants emphasised the importance of open, inclusive, and collaborative approaches that allow different sectors to work together while respecting their specific requirements. DPPs will not succeed on technology alone The success of Digital Product Passports will depend not only on technology and standards, but on our ability to connect stakeholders, build trust, and create interoperable ecosystems that deliver value across the entire product lifecycle. The conversations in Brussels demonstrated that Digital Product Passports are rapidly moving from concept to implementation. The next challenge will be ensuring that businesses, regulators, technology providers, and researchers can work together to make DPPs scalable, interoperable, and accessible across Europe and beyond. The successful implementation of Digital Product Passports will depend on collaboration across the entire ecosystem. If you are a manufacturer, technology provider, policymaker, researcher or industry association looking to exchange knowledge, explore partnerships or engage in DPP-related initiatives, get in touch with us and contact Elliana Jensen-Abieva now! For further questions, please contact Elliana Jensen-Abieva.