RiConnect Combines Digital Product Passports, SaaS

RiConnect Inc. is combining Digital Product Passports (DPP) with Software as a Service (SaaS) in a unique DPPaaS concept.

August 26, 2025

DPPaaS (Digital Product Passports as a Service) supports customers by providing DPP in a more accessible and cost-effective way through a new SaaS model.

The cloud-based DPPaaS offering has been widely welcomed, as industry continues to adapt to the European Union’s Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), which aims to improve the sustainability of products placed on the EU market.

ESPR is designed to enhance products’ circularity, energy performance, recyclability, and durability. It replaced the Ecodesign Directive 2009/125/EC and establishes a framework for setting eco-design requirements on specific product groups. It expands the Ecodesign Directive to cover virtually all physical products; and reinforces the range of eco-design requirements that can be set.

RiConnect is dedicated to simplifying and digitalising the processes around compliance and traceability for equipment management. Having pioneered utilisation of radio frequency identification (RFID) chips, allowing end users of lifting and other equipment to keep up with pre-use checks and unique identification numbers, it recently pivoted towards global regulatory developments, specifically with ESPR in mind.

RiConnect’s established DPP system is a data management tool that records a product’s lifecycle information, including material composition, energy performance, maintenance guidelines, and recycling methods. A DPP promotes compliance and transparency, while improving resource efficiency and supporting circular economy goals.

Rob Whitehurst-Maiden, sales manager at RiConnect UK Limited, said: “DPPaaS has emerged as a front-running concept, as customers sought a DPP-SaaS combination in the wake of ESPR and implementation of other compliance-based strategies. We can now support customers by providing DPP in a more accessible and cost-effective way through the SaaS model. DPPaaS helps customers achieve compliance, improve data management, and contribute to circular economy goals — without having to build their own system.”

RiConnect has already backed the move to ESPR; it provides a critical legal framework for global digitalisation and sustainability, perfectly aligning with DPPaaS. It is not only a regulatory requirement but also a significant opportunity to drive industry transparency and enhance resource efficiency. RiConnect is committed to transforming compliance demands into business value, helping companies remain competitive in an ever-changing market.

Whitehurst-Maiden added: “We are longtime pathfinders as manufacturers look to ensure compliance with EU regulations, while enhancing supply chain transparency and efficiency. ESPR is further establishing itself as a global benchmark; we encourage businesses to embrace DPPaaS to stay ahead of regulatory changes, enhance brand trust, and improve operational efficiency.”