September 2026: Global standardization of the Digital Product Passport (DPP) – ISO/IEC JTC 5 begins the internationalization of the DPP in Berlin

September 2026: Global standardization of the Digital Product Passport (DPP) – ISO/IEC JTC 5 begins the internationalization of the DPP in Berlin

International standardization of the Digital Product Passport (DPP) is gaining momentum: Following its successful launch in Europe, the newly established ISO/IEC Joint Technical Committee 5 (JTC 5) has begun the work on global standardization of DPP. The goal is to make DPP solutions compatible worldwide — from Europe to China, South Korea, and the U.S., all the way to Australia, Japan, etc. It is intended to simplify global trade and to provide public as companies with reliable sources for digital product information.

Barcode and RFID Technology as the Key

At the inaugural meeting of JTC 5, Dr. Harald Oehlmann (Liaison Officer for SC31) highlighted the importance of optical data carriers (e.g., QR codes) and high-performance RFID technologies (UHF RFID and HF 13MHz RFID in cooperation with SC17) for physically linking products to their digital passports. These technologies shall enable unique identification as reliable data carrier for DPP —particularly in industries where traceability and data security are critical.

Vortrag von Dr. Harald Oehlmann bei der Gründungsveranstaltung des neuen ISO/IEC Komitees "JTC 5 DPP".
Figure: Presentation by Dr. Harald Oehlmann at the inaugural meeting of the new ISO/IEC committee “JTC 5 DPP.” (Image source: OPC Foundation)

Focus on Interoperability

The JTC 5 does not intend to develop industry-specific standards but instead relies on the reuse of existing specifications to ensure interoperability between different DPP systems. Work is currently underway on fundamental concepts, such as:

  • “ISO/IEC 25534-1 Digital Product Passport – Part 1: Concepts and terminology”

This document will provide an overview and fundamental principles for Digital Product Passports (DPP), like URL with structured data paths (e.g., GS1 Digital Link, AutoID URL) and unique numbering systems (ISO/IEC 15459) as a reference for the different products like batteries, textiles, electronics, construction elements, etc.

 

Outlook: Global Collaboration

With over 30 liaison partners and a growing number of contributors (including from Brazil, China, Europe, Japan, the U.S., etc.), JTC 5 will develop the DPP standards in close coordination with regional bodies (e.g., CEN/CENELEC in Europe). The next meetings will take place in spring 2027 (location to be determined), in fall 2027 in Jinan (China), and in spring 2028 in Brazil.

EDCI – Your Partner for DPP Implementation

EDCI played a key role in standardizing the “DPP-Identifiers” and stands ready to support manufacturers as an experienced partner for the immediate implementation of the Digital Product Passport (DPP) in accordance with EN 18219 (Unique Identifiers).

Manufacturers and labelers can send their existing product codes to info@e-d-c.info. The EDCi team will then provide a customized proposal on how to update existing product codes to become DPP-compliant—while fully retaining your product data.