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From Traceability to Trust: How Blockchain is Powering the Protags Next Generation of Digital Product Passports

  • madslinjen
  • 4 days ago
  • 4 min read
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With Protag, supply chains and value chains are becoming smarter, more transparent, and more accountable than ever before. As the EU’s Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) makes Digital Product Passports (DPPs) mandatory across industries, a new challenge emerges: how to ensure that product data shared between hundreds of actors remains accurate, trustworthy, and tamper-proof.

This is where blockchain technology changes everything.

According to e.g. Deloitte (2023), blockchain is no longer just a buzzword in supply chains. It is a core enabler of trust and collaboration. By creating a shared, immutable record of every transaction and material movement, blockchain empowers industries to verify data at every step, from raw material extraction to final product recycling.

At Protag, we have built this concept into reality.


The Trust Problem in Global Supply Chains

Traditional supply chains are data-rich but trust-poor. Information about materials, certifications, and compliance is typically spread across disconnected systems, managed by different organizations that rarely share data in real time.

Manufacturers rely on PDFs, emails, and spreadsheets to exchange certificates and compliance reports with their suppliers. Each time a document changes hands, its authenticity becomes harder to verify.

This fragmentation leads to:

  • Manual verification processes that waste time and resources.

  • Risk of outdated or falsified documentation.

  • A lack of traceability when products fail to meet regulatory standards.

In a world where every product will soon need a digital passport, this old system simply cannot scale.


Why Blockchain Matters for DPPs

A Digital Product Passport is only as reliable as the data it holds. Blockchain technology ensures that this data cannot be altered, lost, or manipulated after submission, creating a single, trusted source of truth for all participants.

Each transaction or document stored in a blockchain is cryptographically linked to the one before it, forming a tamper-evident chain of information. When a manufacturer uploads a declaration of conformity or a supplier provides material composition data, that record is secured and timestamped on the blockchain.

For regulators and certifiers, this means they can verify data integrity instantly without the need for manual audits or file exchanges.For manufacturers, it means full traceability and proof of compliance across their entire supply chain.

As Deloitte (2023) notes, blockchain “creates a shared truth across participants,” removing the need for intermediaries to validate data, a principle that perfectly aligns with how DPPs are meant to function.


Protag’s Approach: Blockchain with Purpose

At Protag, we do not see blockchain as an add-on. It is the foundation of our compliance ecosystem.

Our platform uses a permissioned blockchain infrastructure to anchor every product’s lifecycle data, from materials and certifications to repair records and end-of-life recovery. Each event is recorded immutably and can be verified by authorized stakeholders such as suppliers, auditors, and regulators.

This ensures that:

  • Every DPP is authentic, traceable, and immutable.

  • Data can be shared between trusted participants without exposing confidential details.

  • Regulatory bodies can access auditable, real-time evidence of compliance.

Blockchain turns the DPP from a static record into a living, verifiable compliance system.


AI and Automation: Scaling Trust Across Industries

While blockchain guarantees trust, AI and automation make it scalable.

Protag’s ecosystem uses machine learning to extract and validate compliance data directly from ERP and PIM systems, turning unstructured files and certificates into standardized, machine-readable information.

The AI layer automatically:

  • Checks for missing or inconsistent data.

  • Flags compliance gaps before audit deadlines.

  • Links supplier documentation to the correct product passports.

This means compliance data flows automatically from sub-suppliers to manufacturers, reducing manual documentation by up to 90 percent. Once verified, blockchain ensures the record’s permanence and credibility.

Together, AI and blockchain form the digital backbone of Protag’s Compliance Ecosystem, where data moves freely, securely, and intelligently.


Connecting Manufacturers, Suppliers, and Regulators

Protag’s architecture connects the full ecosystem:

  • Manufacturers link with sub-suppliers via secure APIs to exchange data automatically.

  • Certifiers and regulators access verified documentation directly, eliminating email-based audits.

  • Suppliers update lifecycle data once, and it flows automatically to all relevant DPPs.

Through this digital network, Protag transforms compliance from a static reporting process into a dynamic, continuous verification system.

No more document conversions, email attachments, or re-certification chaos, only real-time compliance guaranteed by technology.


The Business Case: From Transparency to Growth

For manufacturers, compliance is no longer just about avoiding penalties. It is about gaining competitive advantage.

A transparent and trusted supply chain:

  • Speeds up certifications and market access.

  • Reduces time-to-market for regulated products.

  • Enhances brand credibility with customers, investors, and regulators.

  • Enables participation in circular economy business models such as remanufacturing and take-back.

By integrating blockchain, AI, and automation into one cohesive ecosystem, Protag helps companies achieve compliance efficiency and commercial agility at the same time.


The Bigger Picture: Building the Infrastructure of Trust

The future of global trade will be built on digital trust.

As regulations such as ESPR, CSRD, SAFE and the EU Battery Regulation converge, the companies that succeed will be those that treat compliance not as a cost, but as a strategic capability.

At Protag, we are building that capability. Our platform delivers the infrastructure that allows industries to prove compliance, ensure sustainability, and unlock growth through blockchain transparency, AI automation, and seamless interoperability.

Digital Product Passports are the first step. The real transformation is already underway:from traceability to trust, from compliance to confidence.


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