sofia Diskussionsbeiträge 2026, No. 3 https://doi.org/10.46850/sofia.9783947850211

The Digital Product Passport (DPP), introduced under the EU Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), aims to improve the availability and accessibility of product-related information and support the transition towards a Circular Economy. This paper forms part of the work on a Governance Framework for DPP-related data management in the furniture sector within the R-evolve project. It presents a draft covering the first part of the analysis, comprising the conceptual and methodological foundations and the target-state analysis; subsequent analytical steps and the resulting Governance Framework will be addressed in later versions. The target-state analysis follows an actor-centred institutional approach and examines seven use cases representing Circular Economy-oriented practices and decision contexts. For each use case, relevant actors, decision points, information needs, underlying DPP-related data and data requirements are identified. Across the use cases, recurring data needs are consolidated into seven DPP-related data families and associated requirements concerning granularity, credibility and traceability, usability, and lifecycle relevance and updateability. The resulting target state provides the reference for the subsequent analysis of current data management practices, existing gaps and actor-related barriers, and the derivation of suitable governance mechanisms.

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