Digital Product Passports – an industry response to growing challenges around traceability, compliance, authenticity and sustainability.

As aerospace supply chains become more complex, the need for trusted, accessible product information is growing. Manufacturers, suppliers, operators and regulators are all facing increasing demands for greater traceability, stronger compliance processes and more robust sustainability reporting.

Digital Product Passports (DPPs) have emerged as one possible solution.

A Digital Product Passport is a secure digital record linked to a specific part, providing trusted information throughout its lifecycle. From manufacture and certification through to maintenance, repair and eventual end of life, a DPP could enable organisations to access consistent, authoritative data about a product whenever it is needed.

The potential benefits are significant. A well-designed DPP ecosystem could strengthen supply chain traceability, help prevent counterfeit parts entering service, improve data sharing between organisations and support evolving regulatory and sustainability requirements.

Exploring the opportunity through DTAD

Recognising both the potential and the challenges of implementation, we have been bringing industry together through the Digital Transformation for Aerospace & Defence (DTAD) group to explore what a practical DPP framework could look like for the sector.

Earlier this year, we hosted a dedicated industry workshop attended by more than 30 industry representatives from across the aerospace supply chain to discuss how to create a trusted, interoperable approach to digital traceability.

The workshop identified strong consensus around a number of priorities. Participants agreed that traceability and authenticity should be the primary focus for early adoption, with sustainability and wider reporting capabilities able to build on those foundations over time.

There was also agreement that progress should begin with a minimum viable dataset, allowing industry to demonstrate value and establish common standards before expanding the scope of information held within a passport.

DPP – From concept to implementation

While Digital Product Passports are attracting increasing attention across multiple sectors, success will depend on collaboration.

No single organisation can create an effective DPP ecosystem in isolation. Common approaches to data models, information governance, security and interoperability will be essential if information is to flow effectively through complex supply chains while maintaining trust and protecting sensitive data.

To support this work, DTAD is developing a 12-month roadmap focused on turning the workshop findings into practical next steps.

This includes work to align on a core data model, trial data-sharing approaches within a sandbox environment and explore governance arrangements involving both industry and regulators. The intention is to establish a clear path towards implementation while ensuring solutions remain aligned with the needs of our sectors.

Getting involved

The next phase of activity will involve wider industry engagement. We are planning the creation of a dedicated DPP working group, alongside a further workshop in Q1 2027, providing opportunities for members to help shape the future direction of the initiative.

We will also be attending Advanced Engineering 2026, where Nigel Thomas, Chair of the DTAD group, will share the latest thinking and progress from industry:

  • From Part to Passport: Digital Traceability Across the Aerospace & Defence Supply Chain:

Digital Product Passports represent more than a new technology initiative. They offer an opportunity to create a trusted foundation for data sharing, strengthen supply chain integrity and support the sector’s wider digital transformation journey.

Members interested in contributing to the work can email Reuben Gomez to learn more about the DPP initiative and upcoming activities.