Factors of digital product passport adoption to enable circular information flows along the battery value chain

Digital product passports (DPPs) may help bridge prevailing information gaps along value chains, and thus support actors’ sustainable product management (SPM) decisions by providing needed product life cycle data. However, different factors influence their successful adoption. This paper provides empirical insights into the perceived potential of DPP adoption in SPM. The focus was placed on DPPs for electric vehicle batteries. Research entailed conducting stakeholder online focus group workshops, expert interviews, follow-up stakeholder consultations, and subsequent qualitative content analysis. Diffusion of innovation (DOI) theory and the technology-organization-environment (TOE) framework were used as theoretical basis. The results illustrate stakeholder perspectives on DPP use in SPM support, as well as stakeholder classification based on innovation adopter categories of DOI theory. Furthermore, DPP adoption barriers, enablers and drivers are presented and discussed in the context of the TOE framework and DOI theory. This paper adds to the literature on digitalization as an enabler of SPM and circular value chains, and to the field of innovation adoption and diffusion in the context of DPPs. As the identified DPP adoption factors help support the uptake of DPPs in facilitating SPM, it is also of clear practical relevance.