IBA editorial team The discussion around the Digital Product Passport (DPP) has firmly reached the office furniture industry. Within the EU project R‑evolve, which has already been featured several times in the IBA Forum, the focus is now shifting from the general concept to its concrete implementation. The latest project update centres on the so-called DPP Governance Framework. It addresses how data can be organised in a way that makes it usable, reliable and trustworthy across the entire value chain. As a result, the emphasis is moving away from technology alone towards practical implementation.
From vision to implementation
The starting point is a scenario process in which two possible future pathways for the European furniture industry were developed: “Europe Leads the Way” and “Patchwork of Unfinished Change”. While the first scenario describes a successful transformation driven by regulation, innovation and collaboration, the second represents fragmented progress and missed opportunities. The positive scenario has been selected as the strategic orientation for R‑evolve. It highlights that a circular furniture economy will not emerge through isolated measures, but through coordinated action, long-term investment and a shared infrastructure. This is where the Digital Product Passport comes into play. It is intended to provide a reliable information base on which circular business models can be built – ranging from durable and repairable products to after-sales services, reuse, resale, spare parts management and the recycling of materials. The key insight is that almost all circular business models rely, in one way or another, on robust DPP data.
Governance rather than a purely technical issue
Within the project, a clear distinction is made between the DPP system and DPP data. The system refers to the technical side, including data carriers, registers, interfaces, interoperability and storage structures. The data, by contrast, concerns the content: which information is required, who provides it, who can access it, and how accuracy, completeness and timeliness are ensured. This is precisely where the governance framework comes in. It focuses on the needs of different stakeholders and the rules required to ensure that a Digital Product Passport works in practice. The challenge is not merely to digitise data, but to organise it in such a way that companies, service providers, public procurers, market surveillance authorities and customers can use it effectively. Trust is a fundamental prerequisite. Those providing data must be confident that sensitive information is protected and made accessible only on a need-to-know basis. Those using data must be able to rely on its accuracy, completeness and reliability. Without this mutual trust, the Digital Product Passport risks remaining a formal instrument with limited practical value for the circular economy. For manufacturers of office and contract furniture in particular, it becomes clear that the DPP cannot simply be imposed. It requires coordinated data processes across development, procurement, production, sales and services, as well as clearly defined responsibilities for data content and quality.
Barriers to practical implementation
Several obstacles currently stand in the way of widespread implementation. These include the fragmentation of the furniture industry, limited transparency in upstream supply chains, unclear principles for data stewardship, unresolved questions regarding access rights and confidentiality, and a general reluctance to share data beyond the minimum legal requirements. These challenges demonstrate that the DPP cannot be introduced in isolation. Companies require clear processes, reliable data structures and robust agreements with suppliers and partners. Contractual arrangements also play an important role. Where certain information is not automatically provided through regulatory requirements, companies may need to secure it through supplier contracts. At the same time, studies on new workplace concepts and hybrid working show that structured, reliable data forms a key basis for planning, control and transparency across the entire value chain.
Clearly defined use cases as a starting point
To further develop the framework, R‑evolve has created model case studies that reflect key circular pathways in the furniture industry. These include product strategies focused on durability and upgradeability, lifetime extension services, reuse and resale, as well as material recycling. In addition, cross-cutting topics are addressed, such as environmental performance data, strategic preparedness and compliance, market surveillance, and the perspectives of customers and public procurers. The aim is not to define a highly complex dataset from the outset. Instead, the focus is on establishing a manageable, useful and verifiable starting point that can be developed over time. This allows companies to begin with clearly defined use cases – for example, DPP data for a specific product segment – and to build experience step by step.
Testing, learning, scaling
The governance framework is being developed iteratively throughout the project. An initial version has already been completed, with further iterations planned through interviews, workshops and pilot applications. Six companies are currently testing the implementation of Digital Product Passports in different product and application contexts, including kitchens, seating, school and office furniture, as well as upholstered products. In the longer term, at least 15 additional companies are expected to test the framework as part of large-scale pilot applications. Practical learning is a key focus. The simulation game conducted at the R‑evolve workshop in Copenhagen in autumn 2025 demonstrated that automated IT processes, transparent bills of materials, well-structured supplier contracts, clearly defined responsibilities and skills development are critical success factors. At the same time, it became clear that collaboration is required not only between companies, but also within organisations themselves. Development, procurement, sales, sustainability and IT teams need to work more closely together on the DPP than before.
Conclusion: The Digital Product Passport requires shared rules
The Digital Product Passport has the potential to become a key building block of the circular economy in the furniture industry. It enables access to product information, supports circular business models and can make quality, durability and repairability more visible. However, realising this potential requires more than technical solutions alone. What is needed are shared rules, clear responsibilities and governance structures that ensure data quality, trust and collaboration. For companies within the IBA network, the R‑evolve governance framework provides valuable guidance. It outlines the roles, data interfaces and forms of cooperation required to turn the Digital Product Passport into a viable foundation for circular business models. R‑evolve makes an important contribution in this regard by framing the DPP not merely as a digital tool, but as an infrastructure for a future-proof, circular furniture economy.
R‑evolve is an EU-funded project under Horizon Europe (HORIZON-CL6-2024-CircBio-01–3) focusing on the circular economy in the furniture sector. Results from initiatives such as an Innovation Camp in Copenhagen feed into pilot projects and the preparation of future ESPR requirements. Further information: https://www.ifz.at/projekt/r‑evolve-den-wandel-der-moebelindustrie-richtung-kreislaufwirtschaft-einleiten and https://r‑evolve.eu/.
Cover photo: iStock @ismagilov
