Digi4Circular at DESIGN 2026!

On 20 May 2026, we’re proud to see Digi4Circular represented at the DESIGN 2026 Conference in Dubrovnik, where Finn Budde (Paderborn University) presented our latest research. The paper is led by Katharina Rohde (Paderborn University), with contributions from Paderborn University, Finn Budde, Manuel Ott, Prof. Dr. Iryna Mozgova, and from Data CoLAB, Bárbara Patrício , Tânia Ferreira, and Ana Gonçalves.

They presented the paper “Digital Product Passports and the challenge of product structure granularity: a decision-making framework for the level of DPP integration,” which explores a key question:

Where should a Digital Product Passport be integrated within a product architecture?

To address this, the work proposes a decision-oriented framework that supports selecting the most suitable DPP integration level based on factors such as market relevance, circularity potential, regulatory requirements, safety considerations, and economic feasibility.

The presentation was very well received, sparking insightful discussions and opening new perspectives for further work.

💬 As Finn Budde highlighted:

“The discussion included insightful questions that opened up new perspectives for our further work, and the exchange with other presenters was very constructive.”

For Digi4Circular, this contribution strengthens the link between Digital Product Passports, product architecture, and circular design, supporting improved data structuring, traceability, and integration into digital workflows, especially for complex automotive components.

💬 Reflecting on the broader discussions at the conference, he also noted:

“A key takeaway is that many of the topics discussed are closely connected to Digi4Circular, especially circular product development, lifecycle information, sustainability assessment, and the structuring of complex product data. It was also interesting to see the strong presence of AI, particularly in relation to decision support, knowledge management, and the use of data in design processes.”