Key insights from Cobuilder’s participation in the latest CIRPASS-2 Workshop in Paris, where practical Digital Product Passport workflows for construction were widely discussed.

As leader of the CIRPASS-2 Lighthouse Pilot for Construction, Cobuilder is on the path to transforming the vision of Digital Product Passports (DPPs) into reality. At the recent CIRPASS-2 workshop in Paris, key industry players came together to describe the real-life workflows for implementing DPPs across the construction sector. The workshop marks a strategic moment where theoretical ideas begin to take shape, with Cobuilder actively supporting the shift through technical expertise and focus on real-world needs.

Read more about our role in CIRPASS-2

The Paris workshop brought together major stakeholders across the construction value chain, including GS1 France, Soprema, Velux, Valobat, 360 Smart Connect and more. New participants from DFO joined the discussions, and notably, Autodesk entered as a completely new and highly influential member, bringing significant contribution to the CIRPASS-2 Construction Consortium with valuable insights.

This collaborative setting was designed to align all players on a common implementation vision for DPPs based on real-life use cases.

The main focus of the workshop was a deep dive into the technical application of the made-to-order and off-the-shelf product workflows. The goal was to ensure all stakeholders had a shared understanding of the plan, responsibilities, and next steps, regarding the entire DPP lifecycle.

For the first time, the Consortium moved beyond theoretical discussions and worked on specific workable diagrams — an important shift towards the practical application and future implementation of a crucial software solution. Input came from both technical and business perspectives, covering data exchange flows and key regulations like ESPR and the revised CPR.

A key outcome of the workshop was the creation of two standardised DPP workflows:

• Made-to-Order products: e.g. windows, precast concrete, HVAC systems — produced, based on specific project requirements.
• Off-the-Shelf products: e.g. insulation materials, standardised screws, or adhesives — mass-produced products, listed in catalogues and sold in stores.

During breakout sessions, participants worked hands-on with realistic examples in order to describe the DPP lifecycle for the two product types. This allowed the Consortium to identify critical differences, challenges, opportunities and how structured data, open standards and QR codes could be applied consistently.

The exercise highlighted the importance of clearly separating how products and information are handled inside vs. outside a project, depending on the actors involved. They also helped pinpoint the differences and similarities between the two workflows — insights that will support the creation of future gap analyses and the identification of missing systems or functionalities.

The consortium gained a clearer understanding of when specific information is needed, how data should flow through each stage, and how DPPs can support different scenarios.

These findings represent significant progress toward practical DPP implementation.

Cobuilder played an important role in ensuring that the technical backbone of the DPP aligns with the industry’s needs. One of the key outcomes was the validation of DPP data from all Consortium members — a step that ensures interoperability across tools and platforms.

While the workflows and datasets were developed collectively by the Consortium, Cobuilder contributed by coordinating and guiding the workshop process. Thanks to its role as a moderator, the dialogue between technical experts was conducted without any interruptions and all industry players and regulatory perspectives were presented.

This collective effort had a major impact on turning shared concepts into practical solutions.

While it is still early in the journey, the workshop marked an important step toward developing a working DPP for both made-to-order and off-the-shelf product types that could form the basis for a future Minimum Viable Product (MVP) for the construction sector. At the end, the Consortium came to unanimous decisions about validated data, shared workflow structures, and clearer business needs.

Although the workflows are not finalised and are still in development, the event in Paris helped to form a common understanding of what practical implementation might look like. Cobuilder’s technical leadership, together with the valuable feedback of all participants in the Workshop, has led to the creation of a unified model that can be tested and refined in the next phase of the CIRPASS-2 project.

To maintain momentum, the Consortium agreed to continue the work on the two DPP workflows through a series of online workshops, where stakeholders will further expand their ideas and proposed approaches during the Paris event.

The CIRPASS-2 Paris workshop confirmed that Digital Product Passports are moving closer to becoming a reality. With product workflows defined and industry-wide discussions progressing, the construction sector is starting to take its first coordinated steps toward achieving a cohesive and consistent exchange of information and collaboration with respect to the DPP micro-universe.
Cobuilder will continue to lead by example by providing technical solutions, standards and support to ensure that DPPs one day will become fully functioning and adopted and that they have been built for the industry and by the industry.