The Digital Product Passport (DPP) is a digital record containing information about a product’s origin, materials, environmental impact, and recyclability. It aims to improve transparency, traceability, and circularity throughout the product lifecycle. With the DPP becoming mandatory for the first product groups in the near future, companies must translate regulatory requirements into concrete organizational and technical practices. A master’s thesis can examine how companies in a selected industry respond to the DPP, how they are preparing for its introduction, and how advanced their implementation currently is. The empirical study is expected to use one of two research designs: A qualitative interview study based with representatives from relevant companies; an in-depth case study of one or more companies, drawing on interviews and, where available, internal documents or other relevant data. Potential participants include representatives from sustainability, compliance, IT, product management, and supply-chain management. The study should investigate implementation measures, responsibilities, data and technology requirements, and key challenges. It could also analyse whether companies treat the DPP primarily as a compliance obligation or strategically use it to support circular business models and organizational transformation.

Potential Research Questions:

• How do companies in a selected industry respond to Digital Product Passport regulation—as a strategic opportunity for circular business model transformation or primarily as a compliance burden?
• What is the current state of DPP preparation and implementation within the selected industry?
• How are companies organizing and carrying out the implementation?
• Which technical, organizational, and data-related challenges do they encounter?
• How does the implementation approach relate to the strategic or compliance-oriented positioning of the DPP?