Architectures And Systems For Identifying Assets In Circular Supply Chains using Digital Product Passports and the Asset Administration Shell

The identification and traceability of assets throughout their lifecycle is an important prerequisite for the efficient management of circular value creation and the reuse of components and products. This is a particular problem in complex and dynamic value chains. This paper examines the challenges of identifiers in circular supply chains and presents current solution approaches for identification systems by the means of the Digital Product Pass and the Asset Administration Shell. Architectures are presented for ensuring consistent identification in a circular economy and effective traceability systems in global supply chains. The paper highlights the need for both the physical identification features and the associated digital identification information to make an object consistently and uniquely identifiable.