The purpose of this research is to investigate and understand the current situation of the suppliers in the textile and apparel industry, who are located in Asia, towards the Digital Product Passport (DPP). In particular, this research intends to assist in understanding if the suppliers of this industry are aware of the DPP legislation, which is their attitude regarding this topic, and how prepared they are to follow its prerequisites. Design/methodology/approach: This study adopts an exploratory qualitative research approach. The goal is to explore and gain further knowledge about the current attitude and preparedness of the Asian suppliers regarding the DPP and finally to lay the groundwork for further studies. An inductive approach was followed since this research was conducted by interrelating relevant literature with new findings with the purpose of providing the existing literature with new empirical data. Data were collected through interviews and new knowledge and discussions were produced as a result of the research process. Findings: The findings of this research show that the suppliers’ attitude towards the DPP is positive rather than negative. There is a willingness to learn more about this topic and follow the prerequisites. However, several difficulties were encountered that should be taken into account carefully. In addition, with regard to their preparedness, the suppliers are considered not ready. However, it was noted that for some of them, the implementation might be easier than for others. Originality/value: In the literature, there is a gap with regard to the current situation of the suppliers in the textile and apparel industry, who are located outside the European Union, and particularly in Asia, towards the DPP. Studies have been focused on the DPP, but not with an explicit focus on the suppliers in Asia and in the textile industry. Therefore, this research is considered original and valuable since it is regarded as one of the first to describe the current situation of the Asian suppliers regarding the DPP and with a specific focus on the textile industry. Paper type: Master Thesis

Purpose: The study explores the integration of blockchain technology with Digital Product Passports (DPP) to facilitate information transparency to address industry-wide concerns. Methodology: This research employed a qualitative exploratory design, utilizing detailed semi-structured interviews with individuals involved in the relative field. The research synthesized insights from industry reports, academic discourse, and empirical data to offer a holistic perspective on the subject matter. Findings: The study reveals a pressing need for standardized and transparent mechanisms for sharing information within the industry's supply chains. As an initial stage, adopting a Digital Product Passport contains many challenges. The research identifies three key categories of challenges (i.e. Technological, Organizational, and Regulatory challenges) and tries to investigate the role of blockchain technology in the supply chain to solve them. Implications: The integration of DPPs and blockchain holds the potential to revolutionize supply chain collaboration, enhance consumer trust, and facilitate the transition to a circular economy. The study underscores the importance of stakeholder collaboration, education, and the establishment of industry-wide standards to unlock the full transformative potential of these technologies. Value: This research contributes to the growing discourse on circular supply chains by explaining the role of DPPs and blockchain technology in promoting transparency, and traceability. The study offers a comprehensive framework for understanding the data requirements of digital product passports, bridging the gap in the existing literature. The findings serve as a foundation for informed decision-making by industry practitioners, policymakers, and researchers.

In the last decade, the European Union has looked to become more sustainable toreach the global environmental goals. With The European Green deal, a transition towards a circular economy has been set in place. One of the proposals is the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) that will improve the circularity and sustainability of almost all categories of physical goods. The digital product passport is a significant part of the ESPR with the goal to enable circular economy and carbon reduction plans by providing product information in a digital format and enable traceability. The purpose of this study is to investigate the Digital Product Passport in product design and manufacturing and to assess the potential opportunities and challenges associated with its introduction. The study also identifies the key traceability aspects that need to be considered when implementing this technology. A qualitative study has been conducted with a focus on small-to-medium sized enterprises in the Swedish furniture industry. In this study, the Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) framework has been used to identify key factors that will have an impact on the future implementation of Digital Product Passport. Based on empirical findings and the literature review, an adapted model of TOE is presented in the discussion. The study has identified several opportunities in the Swedish furniture industry, such as transparency, digital identification, marketing and competitive advantages, value chain collaboration and the traceability aspect. Challenges found were organizational resources, decentralised databases, lack of frameworks, establishing access levels and digital platforms. A traceability aspect that needs to be considered are the security and privacy. Blockchain solution could be seen as a traceability enhancer that provides security, while interoperability between different blockchain networks is questioned. / Under det senaste decenniet har Europeiska unionen försökt bli mer hållbar för att nå de globala miljömålen. I och med EU:s gröna överenskommelse har en övergång till en cirkulär ekonomi inletts. Ett av förslagen är förordningen om ekodesign för hållbara produkter (Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, ESPR) som kommer att förbättra cirkulariteten och hållbarheten inom nästan alla kategorier av fysiska varor. Det digitala produktpasset är en viktig del av ESPR med målet att möjliggöra planer för cirkulär ekonomi och koldioxid minskning genom att tillhandahålla produktinformation i digitalt format och möjliggöra spårbarhet. Syftet med den här studien är att undersöka det digitala produktpasset i produktdesign och tillverkning samt att bedöma de potentiella möjligheter och utmaningar som är förknippade med dess införande. Studien identifierar också de viktigaste spårbarhetsaspekterna som måste beaktas vid införandet av denna teknik. En kvalitativ studie har genomförts med fokus på små till medelstora företag inom den svenska möbelindustrin. I denna studie har ramverket Technology-Organisation-Environment (TOE) använts för att identifiera nyckelfaktorer som kommer att ha en inverkan på den framtida implementeringen av Digital Product Passport. Baserat på empiriska resultat ochlitteraturstudien presenteras en anpassad modell av TOE i diskussionen. Studien har identifierat flera möjligheter i den svenska möbelindustrin, såsom transparens, digital identifiering, marknadsföring och konkurrensfördelar, samarbete i värdekedjan och spårbarhetsaspekten. Utmaningar som hittades var organisatoriska resurser, decentraliserade databaser, brist på ramverk, fastställande av åtkomstnivåer och antalet digitala plattformar. En spårbarhetsaspekt som måste beaktas är säkerhet och integritet. Blockkedjelösningen kan ses som en spårbarhetsförbättring som ger säkerhet, medan interoperabiliteten mellan olika blockkedjenätverk ifrågasätts.

In this article, we argue that the software “Fab City OS” fosters circular design. Our methodology is that we first define circular design from literature and then explain how “Fab City OS” fosters it. We argue from the context of the widespread availability of computer-aided design (CAD) tools and fabrication machines (CNC, 3D printer…). We see this in combination with increasing ease of access to places of production (Fab-, Textile-, Bio-, … Labs). If combined via Fab City OS, the two can leverage the potential of design for a circular economy. As the name says, Fab City OS is meant to be the operating system for “Fab Cities” (Díez, 2018). Fab City OS builds upon the work of Dr.-Ing. Tobias Redlich .

Europeiska Unionen står inför en komplex uppgift med att införa Digitala Produktpass (DPP) – en digital mekanism som strävar efter att förbättra hur information om produkters livslängd, tillförlitlighet och återanvändbarhet samlas och delas. Detta arbete utförs med syfte att utveckla och förbättra användbarheten i ett användargränssnitt som är tänkt att integreras i samband med onlineköp för att effektivisera och förenkla processen för skapandet av DPP. Genom att omfamna metoden Design Thinking, har arbetet utvecklat och utvärderat en prototyp. Detta genom att identifiera och analysera problem med användbarhet i en utvärdering beståendes av intervju, användartest i form av Retrospective Probing och en enkät. Resultaten från utvärderingen visade brister i användarnas förståelse för användargränssnittet och DPP. Detta har specifikt lett till förbättringar av designen för initieringsknappen i användargränssnittet. I initieringsknappens beskrivande text har det lagts till mer informtion om Digitala Produktpass, vilket syftar till att öka interaktionens tydlighet och användarnas nöjdhet. Slutsatserna av arbetet belyser både framgångar och identifierade begränsningar. Det framhäver inte bara de förbättringar som redan har genomförts med initieringsknappen, utan också de områden där ytterligare insatser krävs för att optimera användbarheten, som flera iterationer av Design Thinking. Arbetet ger även vägledning för kommande studier och implementeringar inom området genom att föreslå riktningar för framtida forskning för utvecklandet av användbarhet i användargränssnitt för DPP. Genom att skapa en smidig och intuitiv interaktion mellan användare och DPP kan det öka engagemanget och uppmuntra till ökad användning av DPP. Vilket slutligen hjälper Europeiska Unionen införa DPP. / The European Union faces a complex task in introducing the Digital Product Passport (DPP) – a digital mechanism that aims to improve the way information about product lifespan, reliability and reusability is collected and shared. This work is carried out with the aim of developing and improving the usability of a user interface that is intended to be integrated in connection with online purchases, in order to streamline and simplify the process of creating DPP. By embracing the Design Thinking method, the work has developed and evaluated a prototype. This was made by identifying and analysing usability issues in an evaluation consisting of interview, user tests in the form of Retrospective Probing Probing and surveys. The results from the evaluation, showed deficiencies in users’ understanding of the user interface and DPPs. This has specifically led to improvements in the design of the initiation button in the user interface. In the initiation button’s describing text, more information about Digital Product Passports has been added, which aims to increase the clarity of the interaction and the satisfaction of the users. The conclusions of the work highlights both successes and identified limitations. It not only highlights the improvements that have already been made with the initiation button, but also the areas where efforts are required to optimize usability, such as further iterations of Design Thinking. The work also provides guidance for future studies and implementations in the field, by suggesting directions for future research for the development of usability in user interfaces for DPP. By creating a smooth and intuitive interaction between users and DPP, it can increase engagement and encourage increased use of DPP. Which ultimately helps the European Union introduce the DPP.