Digitaaliset tuotepassit kiertotalouden mahdollistajina suomalaisessa valmistavassa teollisuudessa : datan jakaminen, arvoekosysteemit ja ennakoidut vaikutukset

This master’s thesis examines Digital Product Passports (DPPs) included in the European Union’s Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) as enablers of the circular economy in Finnish manufacturing. The study responds to the limited empirical understanding of how companies perceive and prepare for DPP implementation at the company level. The research addresses three questions: how companies perceive the business value and their roles in circular value chains enabled by DPPs; what data-related capabilities and collaboration models are considered essential; and what key opportunities and challenges are associated with integrating DPPs into existing digital infrastructures and sustainability goals. Empirical data were collected through semi-structured interviews with representatives of companies operating in sectors affected or likely to be affected by DPP regulation. The findings indicate that awareness of DPPs is widespread, yet concrete preparedness remains limited. Many companies adopt a wait-and-see approach due to regulatory uncertainty, particularly regarding detailed data requirements and timelines. DPPs are primarily perceived as compliance-driven instruments, but interviewees also recognised their business potential in terms of enhanced market positioning through verified sustainability data, efficiency gains enabled by digitalisation and automation, and long-term opportunities for new business models and participation in emerging value ecosystems. The study concludes that the key challenge for Finnish manufacturing companies is not regulatory compliance itself, but the strategic and organisational integration of DPPs in a way that enables the capture of circular economy value at the level of individual business, not only as part of a broader systemic transition.