Digital product passports as enablers of the digital & green transition

Dr Marta Santos Silva is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Research Centre for Justice and Governance at Minho University in Portugal and affiliated member of the Maastricht European Private Law Institute and the Centre of European Law and Politics in Bremen. Marta is a driven researcher working on cutting edge issues in between private law and sustainability/environmental issues, and was a guest of Professor Berte-Elen Reinertsen Konow here in Bergen. Thanks to their hard work, the University of Minho has been awarded, as promoter university and alongside the University of Bergen as partner university, research funding to promote the joint research project “Legal-By-Design Digital Disruption in the Circular Economy: An Exploratory Research project”.

The project is funded by the Fund for Bilateral Relations – FBR Open Call #1 from the EEA Financial Mechanism 2014-2021 and it will produce three main deliverables: a kick-off meeting at the University of Bergen with the organizers of the event from the University of Minho and the University of Bergen; a two-day high-level workshop with the most recognized experts in Europe and beyond at the JusGov, at the University of Minho with the attendance of researchers from the University of Minho and the University of Bergen, as well as other stakeholders, namely from the industry sector (the events taking place on the 9th and 10th of October 2023) and, finally, a peer-reviewed, co-authored, academic article on legal-by-design legal disruption in the circular economy, to be published in an indexed legal journal with a particular focus on the Digital Product Passport and hydrogen energy. The Principal Investigator of this project is Postdoctoral Researcher Marta Santos Silva who is also the scientific coordinator of the workshop and co-organizer of this partnership.

In addition to the EEA, the visit was made possible by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT), Research Centre for Justice and Governance (JusGov) and the Law School of the University of Minho for Marta's project Marta’s visit was also sponsored by the Wicked Waters project lead by Associate Professor Ignacio Herrera-Anchustegui, funded by The Research Council of Norway.

In the seminar, Marta spoke about the proposal from the EU on the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation which requires producers of some goods to create and maintain Digital Product Passports (DPPs) for their products. The DPP will contain product information, including a unique product identifier and image, and be accessible via a data carrier e.g. QR code. This information is supposed to help consumers make sustainable choices when acquiring products and will alter the way we buy and are informed about products and services we utilize. 

In the era of digitalisation and increasing environmental concerns, the concept of Digital Product Passports (DPPs) has emerged as a pivotal instrument for facilitating the transition towards a more sustainable and technologically advanced future. This paper explores the multifaceted role of DPPs in fostering digital and green transitions, emphasizing their potential to reshape industries, empower consumers, and promote environmental stewardship. 

Thank you for visiting us, Marta!