The UK Government has launched a call for evidence to gather views on the future of digital product records (DPRs) and their role in improving the way product information is shared across supply chains.
This call for evidence closes at 11:59pm on 21 September 2026
Digital product records, including the EU’s Digital Product Passport (DPP), are emerging as an important tool for providing accessible product information, supporting sustainability, and improving traceability. The EU DPP will also apply in Northern Ireland under the Windsor Framework, making this a significant area of policy development for UK businesses.
This call for evidence seeks feedback on how a UK approach to digital product records could simplify the provision of product information for businesses while increasing transparency for consumers and supporting the work of Market Surveillance Authorities. It also aims to identify opportunities for digitalisation to reduce regulatory burdens and improve compliance processes.
The Government welcomes views on digital product records more broadly, the impact of existing policies and the key considerations for developing a UK policy framework for goods.
Relevance for Royce stakeholders
This call for evidence has particular relevance for advanced materials, where trusted information about composition, provenance, processing, performance and end-of-life recovery may need to pass between multiple organisations throughout a product’s lifetime.
The Henry Royce Institute’s National Framework for Materials 4.0 identifies digital material passports as records combining static and dynamic information about individual materials, components or assets, supported by common data standards and secure, interoperable infrastructure. The Framework highlights how sensing and in-situ monitoring could add crucial performance data throughout a material’s lifecycle, while passport data could support more efficient recycling and the recovery of critical minerals.
The Government’s call for evidence therefore provides an important opportunity for the advanced materials community to help shape the standards, governance and interoperability needed to make these systems work across complex supply chains.
How to respond
The consultation document is available online, and responses can be submitted through the Government’s online consultation portal: https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/call-for-evidence-digital-product-record-policy
