Digitale Produktpass (DPP) live auf der A+A

A+A 2025 in Düsseldorf made one thing unmistakably clear

The Digital Product Passport (DPP) is gaining momentum in the textile sector, especially in workwear and protective clothing. Not as an abstract part of the Ecodesign Regulation, but as a practical tool for product transparency, lifecycle management and everyday data workflows.

The Reality Check: A fully functional DPP for workwear

ROFA Bekleidungswerk GmbH & Co. KG presented the Digital Product Passport for its MULTI-LIGHT HI-VIS II model, not as a mock-up, but as a working application that visitors could hold in their hands.

What unfolded was remarkably calm and surprisingly powerful:

• Information accessible exactly where it’s needed
• Transparent documentation — automatically updated
• Easier compliance reporting thanks to structured data
• Faster aftermarket processes due to clearer, more accessible information

It was a moment that showed what happens when a regulatory idea becomes a usable tool.

ROFA realized at the fair how innovative this step really is. A working DPP you can actually try out — that sparked a lot of curiosity among companies.
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Emil Welischanksi, Narravero

“DPP – Burden or Benefit?” Insights from the German Fashion Panel

What ROFA demonstrated hands-on was echoed in the German Fashion panel discussion, featuring:

• Simona Rutenfranz (GermanFashion)
• Cornelia Jäger (ROFA)
• Julia Eckert (Würth Modyf)
• Jens Herzog (Narravero)

It took only minutes for a shared understanding to emerge: The debate is no longer about if but how.

Structured data is essential. And you should start, not wait. Unclear definitions can even be an advantage: companies can shape the DPP in a way that fits their processes. But only if departments work together.
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Jens Herzog, Narravero

The DPP is a work in progress. Perfect templates will never exist. You understand it best when you use it.
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Cornelia Jäger, ROFA

Both perspectives meet at the same point: The DPP does not emerge from a finished document, it emerges from doing, learning, and developing together.

Cornelia Jäger, ROFA und Jens Herzog, Narravero auf der A+A in Düsseldorf.
Cornelia Jäger, ROFA, und Jens Herzog, Narravero während der Panel Diskussion zum DPP des German Fashion Verbands.

Looking ahead: What the ROFA use case sets in motion

Across conversations and demos, one message became clear: The DPP is increasingly seen as an opportunity — for transparency, service, and reliable product information throughout the lifecycle.

The ROFA use case shows that this opportunity is not theoretical but tangible. Four observations stood out:

• The willingness is there. Companies want to start; what they need is orientation.
• The DPP is becoming more pragmatic. Less theory, more application.
• Real examples work best. A functioning prototype builds understanding that no concept paper can replace.
• Workwear is a natural starting point. High safety requirements meet high information needs — an ideal combination.

So what now?

The use cases at A+A show how Digital Product Passports can reshape the everyday realities of manufacturers, retailers and users.

Perhaps the most important insight from A+A 2025 is this: The DPP is coming but how we use it will determine the value it creates.

And one day, looking back, we may say: Those first steps made all the difference.