PACE-DPP
Unlocking the Potential of Digital Product Passports
The PACE-DPP project (Promoting and Accelerating a Digital Product Passport-based Data-Service Ecosystem) is a binational lighthouse initiative that supports the implementation of the Digital Product Passport (DPP) as a cornerstone of the European Circular Economy Strategy. Coordinated by Virtual Vehicle Research GmbH, the project aims to bridge regulatory requirements with technological innovation, ensuring a balanced and practical approach to DPP adoption.
PACE-DPP focuses on developing guiding frameworks and modular solution components to enable scalable, data-driven service ecosystems. By integrating key technologies such as data spaces and digital twins into real-world supply chains, the project demonstrates how DPP can unlock new business opportunities while fostering transparency, sustainability, and circular value creation.
To ensure practical relevance, the project is grounded in industrial use cases from the electronics and wood/pulp/paper sectors. Through iterative development and continuous alignment with both regulatory and industry perspectives, PACE-DPP contributes to the sustainable deployment of DPP and the long-term transformation of value chains towards a circular economy.
Objectives
Project Objectives for Advancing Digital Product Passports
Framework Development: Establish evidence-based frameworks and requirements to accelerate the rollout of the Digital Product Passport (DPP).
Technology Demonstration: Showcase key enabling technologies in a future-ready context to support scalable, DPP-driven data service ecosystems.
Circular Economy Impact: Strengthen the circular economy by leveraging the full potential of DPP across multiple dimensions.
Value Chain Integration: Enhance and connect the value chain through DPP-based data ecosystems, ensuring long-term adoption and sustainability of project outcomes.
The Role of SETLabs
Contributing to a Secure and Scalable DPP Ecosystem
Identity & Access Management:
Development of a secure, user-centric authentication framework enabling seamless and trustworthy access to DPP services.
Interoperability & Standards:
Integration of the Asset Administration Shell (AAS) and its transformation into Digital Product Passport (DPP) structures to ensure cross-system compatibility.
Secure Data Exchange:
Implementation of policy-based rights management aligned with established standards to guarantee compliant and controlled data sharing.
Digital Transactions:
Integration of standardized payment and invoicing solutions, fully aligned with existing business processes.
User Experience & AI Interfaces:
Design of intelligent user interfaces, including LLM-powered conversational components, to enhance accessibility and user interaction.
The visual shows how PACE-DPP connects the full product lifecycle – from development and manufacturing to operation – within a shared data ecosystem. It integrates renewable and finite materials across both biological and technical cycles, while using Digital Product Passport data to ensure transparency, traceability, and service integration. At the same time, it enables circular economy practices such as reuse, refurbishment, recycling, and resource regeneration.
Funding: This Lighthouse Project has been made possible by financial contributions from the Austrian Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology (BMK), supported by the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG), as well as from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK), supported by the German Research Promotion Agency (DLR-PT).
