Adopting Digital Product Passports in Supply Chains: Insights from the ABCDE Model and Sectoral Comparisons

Paper in proceeding, 2026

This paper examines the adoption of Digital Product Passports (DPPs) as enablers of transparency, traceability, and circularity across supply chains. It aims to clarify what Antecedents, Barriers, Challenges, Drivers, and Effects shape DPP deployment in light of emerging EU regulations such as the Green Deal and the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR). A systematic literature review was conducted to synthesize insights from journal papers published between 2020 and 2025. The review integrates the Technology–Organization–Environment (TOE) lens with the ABCDE Model to examine DPP evolution and implementation across industries. Findings show that antecedents include regulatory mandates, circular economy ambitions, and technological advancements. Barriers and Challenges relate to data fragmentation, interoperability gaps, organizational resistance, and inconsistent legislation. Drivers emerge from sustainability priorities, compliance requirements, and digital innovation. The resulting Effects include enhanced traceability, transparency, and resilience, yet issues persist around governance complexity and SME readiness. Sectoral comparisons reveal divergent regulatory timelines and data priorities spanning from technical standardization, consumer transparency, to repairability and recyclability. This paper contributes a systematic synthesis of the fragmented DPP literature, proposing the ABCDE Model as a comprehensive model for assessing socio-technical and regulatory readiness. Hence, offering the first integrated application of the ABCDE and TOE frameworks to DPP research. It highlights research gaps in interoperability, data governance, and human-centric integration, guiding future policy and practice toward Industry 5.0 objectives of sustainability, inclusivity, and resilience.