The digital product passport, a central element of the European Ecodesign Regulation, provides access to product-related data throughout a product’s life cycle. Under the name PASSAT, 21 companies, research institutes, and networks from Germany and Austria — including Salzburg Research — have set out to advance the implementation of the digital product passport. The project supports companies in their transition to a circular economy and more sustainable production methods.

The digital product passport aims to increase transparency regarding materials, production processes, and recycling options, as well as support companies in implementing resource-efficient, circular business models. The central goal of the PASSAT projects is to develop the first digital product passports in two reference sectors — textiles and electronics — and demonstrate the potential of new business models. Addressing this topic early on allows Austrian companies to take on a pioneering role.

Integrated industrial preparation

Participating research and industry partners will test and evaluate the prototype implementation of the digital product passport in the textile and electronics industries. The transferability of the results to product groups in the ski industry will also be demonstrated. Use cases will cover sustainability aspects and the use of customized technologies, such as innovative digital product labeling and data space approaches for material reuse in recycling.

PASSAT is helping companies prepare for the digital product passport with numerous measures:

• Development of pilot applications for the digital product passport in the reference sectors;
• Analysis of the regulatory framework and derivation of policy recommendations;
• Development of technical concepts and processes for implementing the digital product passport;
• Training and coaching opportunities for companies;
• Establishment of a stakeholder network to connect with national and international initiatives.

As part of the project, Salzburg Research is developing innovative applications made possible by a digital product passport for skis. The goal is to provide automated ski services tailored to each model throughout its entire service life. The manufacturer links information to the ski via a unique identifier, which can be accessed online. This is an important feature of the digital product passport. This feature also allows a maintenance history of the skis to be created, which is relevant information for both ski rental companies and manufacturers.

Salzburg Research is responsible for conceiving and developing the “data integration components” and semantic data models for the digital product passport for the PASSAT use cases.

The digital product passport establishes a foundation for collecting and utilizing essential product data, which helps reduce waste, extend product lifespan, and develop sustainable business models. PASSAT helps companies meet these requirements and actively promotes the circular economy. The project develops regulatory recommendations and defines technical building blocks and processes to facilitate implementation of the digital product passport, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Strong PASSAT consortium

The project, led by the Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT), comprises 19 partners from Austria, including Salzburg Research, as well as two partners from Germany. This interdisciplinary collaboration will ensure the successful implementation of the digital product passport by bringing diverse perspectives and expertise to the project.

Project partners:
AIT Austrian Institute of Technology; ABC Research GmbH; Atomic Austria GmbH; CANCOM Austria AG; Fraunhofer Austria Research GmbH; Grabher Group GmbH; Fronius International GmbH; GS1 Austria GmbH; Joanneum Forschungs GmbH; Löffler GmbH; Nexyo GmbH; Salzburg Research Forschungsgesellschaft mbH; Secondtrade GmbH; Silana GmbH; Universität für Weiterbildung Krems; Verein Industrie 4.0 Österreich – die Plattform für intelligente Produktion; V-Trion GmbH; Wintersteiger Sports GmbH; Onlim GmbH; HTW Berlin (DE); EAW-Relaistechnik (DE)

The project is funded by the Austrian Federal Ministry for Innovation, Mobility, and Infrastructure (BMIMI) via the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG) as well as the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection (BMWK) and the German Aerospace Center—Project Management Agency (DLR-PT).