for the Textile Supply Chain
This demonstrator — developed in the tExtended Horizon Europe project — showcases an operational DPP framework integrating the UN Transparency Protocol (UNTP) with W3C Decentralized Identifiers and Verifiable Credentials to create a secure, interoperable data architecture for textile products.
The Digital Product Passport (DPP) is a comprehensive digital record that documents a product's journey from raw materials to end of life. Within the UNTP framework it functions as a digital twin, storing sustainability data, material composition, and repairability information accessible to all stakeholders across the supply chain.
By leveraging Decentralized Identifiers and Verifiable Credentials, each material and product carries a unique, self-sovereign identity that can be independently traced and verified — without reliance on centralised authorities. VCs carry the claims and facts; DIDs provide cryptographic proof of who is making them.
UNTP defines what data a Digital Product Passport contains, how it must be structured, and the technical standards for sharing and verifying it across borders and systems.
The decentralised approach of UNTP lets organisations share the necessary evidence of sustainability claims without handing data over to any central authority or platform.
Every claim in the chain is cryptographically verifiable by anyone — regulators, buyers, or consumers — without needing to trust a single intermediary.
A Verifiable Credential is a cryptographically protected digital document — a tamper-evident version of a physical certificate, lab test, or permit. If even a single character is altered after signing, the digital seal breaks and the credential is immediately flagged as invalid. Companies use VCs to share specific product claims — such as "manufactured with organic cotton" — that buyers or regulators can verify instantly without contacting the original issuer.
A Decentralized Identifier is a permanent, self-sovereign digital address — controlled entirely by its owner, not by any platform or authority. When a factory issues a sustainability report they sign it with their DID. Anyone on the other side of the world can verify the factory is exactly who they claim to be, eliminating identity fraud in the supply chain.
Digital Conformity Credentials are cryptographically secured documents confirming that a product meets specific safety, quality, or environmental standards. They allow regulators and buyers to instantly verify certification by an authorised body — significantly reducing the friction and cost of international trade audits.
The Digital Identity Anchor links a physical product to its digital records via unique, decentralised identifiers. It acts as a permanent digital fingerprint — making it impossible to swap or forge a product's identity, and providing the foundation of trust that the information presented actually belongs to the physical item in hand.