tcworld conference 2026 Program Detail

Back to the Conference Program

The Digital Product Passport: The (Not Yet) Perfect Game Changer

  • Keynote
  • Legal Requirements and Standards
  • 10. November
  • 09:00 AM (CET) - 09:45 AM (CET)
  • Plenum 2
  • Prof. Dr. Thomas Knothe

    Prof. Dr. Thomas Knothe

    • Fraunhofer Institute

Contents

Hardly any other topic divides companies, associations, and regulators as much as the European Digital Product Passport. It is often described as a dysfunctional EU monster concocted by clueless Brussels bureaucrats who are exacerbating our dramatically deteriorating global competitive position. On the other hand, there are also many promises, for example, that it is the missing piece of the puzzle to create an efficient and sovereign product date ecosystem for seamless interoperability between manufacturers, retailers, consumers, and authorities. 

The presentation will first briefly lay the groundwork: How does the EU DPP work? Who is affected by the regulations? What standards must be met? What issues remain unresolved, and what isn’t working (yet)? Drawing on experiences from implementation and application in various companies, the audience will learn about opportunities and risks, common mistakes, and useful technical tools (as well as those that have not proven useful so far). At least the speech will conclude with guidance for actions.

Takeaways

  • How the European Digital Product Passport works
  • The benefits for companies’ technical communication
  • Experiences from implementation and application at large and small companies
  • Why the EU DPP is not yet perfect

Speaker

Prof. Dr. Thomas Knothe

Prof. Dr. Thomas Knothe

  • Fraunhofer Institute
Biography

Prof. Dr. Thomas Knothe verantwortet am Fraunhofer Institut für Produktionsanlagen und Konstruktionstechnik das Geschäftsprozess- und Fabrikmanagement. Er arbeitet zudem als Honorarprofessor an der TH Wildau und leitet als Chair das Europäische Komitee CEN CLC JTC 24 zur Erstellung der technischen Grundlagen für das EU Digitale Produktpass-System, deren acht fundamentale Standards erst kürzlich veröffentlicht wurden. In seinem Vortrag leitet Herr Knothe aus den Erfahrungen von Regulation und Standardisierung sowie den Erkenntnissen aus Forschung und industrieller Implementierung des Batteriepasses Handlungsempfehlungen für die Teilnehmer ab.

Prof. Dr. Thomas Knothe is responsible for business process and factory management at the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Systems and Design Technology. He also serves as an honorary professor at the Technical University of Applied Sciences in Wildau and chairs the European Committee CEN CLC JTC 24, which is mandated to establish the technical foundations for the EU Digital Product Passport system; the committee’s eight fundamental standards were recently published. In his presentation, Mr. Knothe will draw on his experience with regulation and standardization, as well as insights from research and the industrial implementation of the Battery Passport, to derive recommendations for the benefit of the audience.

Back