Empower DPP

Starting in January 2026, three Fraunhofer Clusters of Excellence will collaborate on the EmpowerDPP project to support companies in implementing the EU requirements for the Digital Product Passport (DPP). The DPP will be gradually introduced as mandatory for various product groups starting in 2027 and will place new demands on data management along the entire value chain.

The project will identify and address technical and organizational areas of action that are necessary for the creation, provision, and use of digital product passports. Building on the core requirements of the DPP, additional data points will be integrated to enable new service offerings, particularly in production engineering.

The challenge

Companies are faced with the task of consistently capturing, managing, and providing more than a hundred data points along the value chain. This requires not only technical expertise, but also clear organizational structures and increased cross-company collaboration.

At the same time, aspects such as performance, security, scalability, and user-friendliness must be taken into account. In many companies, the high implementation costs are offset by limited financial and human resources.

Our services

EmpowerDPP develops technical and organizational concepts for powerful data management as the basis for digital product passports. This includes clearly defined processes for data provision, orchestration, and validation.

In addition, data-based service offerings are being developed on the basis of the DPP, particularly with a view to production technology and circular value creation systems. The concepts developed in the project create transparency about data flows and responsibilities along the entire value chain.

Fraunhofer ISST is responsible for the following tasks in particular:

• Functional requirements analysis of the DPP based on two product examples 
• Development of a DPP readiness assessment tool
• Support for the development of data provision concepts based on the two product examples
• Development of recycling concepts based on the DPP and the underlying data management from a data perspective

The result

Through improved data management practices, EmpowerDPP enables the development of more efficient processes, reduced error rates, and lower resource consumption. The digital product passport serves as an enabler for new services and sustainable business models.

At the same time, the project supports companies in keeping materials and products in the economic cycle and combining regulatory requirements with economic added value.

The partners

• Fraunhofer CCIT / represented by Fraunhofer ISST (project management)
• Fraunhofer CCPE / represented by Fraunhofer IML
• Fraunhofer CPM / represented by Fraunhofer IWU