A Digital Twin-Based Digital Product Passport
José Monteiro, João Barata, Sara Gentilini
Abstract
Food supply chains face increasing demands for transparency and sustainability. The Digital Product Passport (DPP), under development in the European Union, can contribute to this purpose by sharing relevant product information with all stakeholders. This research aims to develop a digital twin-based architecture for DPPs and design a prototype for GEOfood products that includes environmental, social, and economic sustainability. Our methodology follows the design science research paradigm. The work was conducted in cooperation with a UNESCO Global Geopark and the GEOfood seal, which certifies food production in regions with unique geological relevance protected by UNESCO. The results include (1) an architecture for digital twin-based DPPs and (2) the design of a DPP prototype for GEOfood products. A formative evaluation was conducted through qualitative interviews with industry experts. Our contribution also includes the integration of social and economic dimensions into the DPP, extending the traditional focus on environmental sustainability data and exemplifying its adoption in supply chains of certified products. Practitioners may find our results inspiring for digital infrastructures capable of real-time monitoring and automatic generation of DPPs that adhere to the tenets of circular economy and human-centric production.