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Academia and Industry Behind New Training on Technology and Data for Digital Product Passports

Academia and Industry Behind New Training on Technology and Data for Digital Product Passports

Sigma Technology is an active partner contributing to the development of Linnaeus University’s course on Digital Product Passports for Sustainable Value Chains. The course is the first in Sweden to connect academic research, practical workshops, and industry needs to strengthen Swedish businesses ahead of the upcoming EU requirements for Digital Product Passports (DPP). The course is delivered within the framework of the Expert Competence Smart Industry initiative, which aims to enhance Sweden’s competitiveness.

The EU’s Circular Economy Action Plan and the new EU Regulation on Ecodesign for Sustainable Products (ESPR) mean that digital product passports will soon become mandatory. The purpose is to create traceability, transparency, and sustainable value chains by giving every product placed on the EU market a unique digital identity. This will affect companies in nearly all industries and means that all products entering the EU market will need to have a digital product passport.

There is a significant need for competence. Many Swedish companies—particularly small and medium-sized enterprises—lack sufficient knowledge of both the legislation and the digital processes required to implement DPP solutions effectively. When digital product passports become mandatory, companies without the right competencies risk losing ground in the EU market—both commercially and in terms of regulatory compliance.

“Many companies are waiting until the legislation comes into force and view it as a regulatory burden. This is often due to a lack of knowledge about the EU requirements and the absence of digital traceability systems. During our workshops, we demonstrate that DPP is not only about compliance — it can also become a driver for circular transition, strengthen customer trust, improve traceability, and open new business opportunities. When academia and industry collaborate, we can provide companies with the tools to both understand and apply the requirements in practice,” says Niklas Malmros, CEO of Sigma Technology Solutions Group.

Linnaeus University’s education program is Sweden’s first structured competence-development course in digital product passports with a clear focus on industry. The program demonstrates how EU requirements translate into practical tasks related to data, architecture, and value chains. The course was developed and is delivered in close collaboration with industry and ecosystem partners, including Sigma Technology, Lingon, Interior Cluster Sweden, and GS1. This ensures that participants gain practically relevant knowledge that reflects both current and upcoming demands within real value chains. The course is funded by the Knowledge Foundation (KK‑stiftelsen) and is part of the Expert Competence Smart Industry initiative.

“With this course, we want to move digital product passports from abstract EU regulation to concrete practice in Swedish companies. By combining research-based insights with hands-on workshops, we help managers and specialists understand what data they actually need, how to structure it, and how DPPs can support both compliance and new circular business opportunities. Our ambition is that participants leave with a clear roadmap for their own value chains – not just more information,” says Fisnik Dalipi, PhD, course responsible at Linnaeus University.

About the course

The course is offered as a freestanding skills development course (3 credits) at Linnaeus University in Växjö and is aimed at professionals with at least a bachelor’s degree and experience from industry or the public sector. More information about content, dates, and application is available on Linnaeus University’s website:

About Sigma Technology’s Expertise in DPP

Sigma Technology is driving the development of digital product passports through a combination of research, industry collaboration, and technological innovation. Together with Interior Cluster Sweden and Linnaeus University, we have contributed to both the development of the training programs and an academic study on DPP adoption in Swedish furniture companies. We collaborate with the Nordic Blockchain Alliance and experts from authorities and industry on the role of blockchain technology in future product passports. In addition, we are a technology partner in European and national innovation projects such as SILEO and the Vinnova‑funded projects APPEND and Stella, and we have conducted workshops for Swedish and European companies to strengthen their readiness for upcoming EU requirements.