How can the DPP affect the cultural and creative industries?
IN ENGLISH BELOW
About thirty actors from the textile and fashion industry, the manufacturing industry and the arts and crafts field, as well as researchers from different disciplines, gathered in Future by Lund's premises to discuss how upcoming regulations and investments in the textile field, together with innovations around sustainable manufacturing, can affect textiles, fashion and crafts. The participants' work is then compiled within team and provides input to future EU policy recommendations for innovations in the cultural and creative industries (CCPs) *. Lund University is leading the work and Future by Lund is one of 18 players across Europe. The workshop was led by Birgitta Persson and Katarina Scott.
* (we use KKN here but see it as broadly synonymous with Cultural and Creative Sectors, FGM, and Cultural and Creative Industries, KKB).
- Today's work means that we as a group look at new ideas, strategic interventions and investigate new constellations, says Katarina Scott. With the help of the concrete, we can provide feedback to the policy group.
Lund University and Future by Lund have developed a methodology in which, among other things, OECD/OPSI:S A diamond model that categorizes innovations is included together with Future by Lund's Zone Model, which explains what kind of spacing work is carried out. This package also includes a canvas with a methodology for discussing possible innovation portfolios. (Read more about the Future by Lund method
MCRS (Multicircular and Sustainable Manufacturing Industry) is a project that investigates, among other things, how the introduction of the Digital Product Passport (DPP) can enable a circular and sustainable manufacturing industry. DPP is the digital twin of a product, and by providing products with DPP, transparency will increase. In this way, materials, production, logistics, certificates of authenticity, the possibility of repair and recycling, as well as the connection with designers and artists can be made clearer to consumers, which is assumed to increase the durability of products.
- The workshop is an opportunity for teams and MCRS to dive into microproduction and see how we can create models for the future, says Lars Mattiasson, project manager for MCRS. We can see the introduction of the DPP as a support for the craft sector, as an enabler for a whole new manufacturing industry and as the starting point for many new sustainable business models. We see that a lot of new things will happen in terms of transparency and verification but also that it will provide completely new opportunities, such as through increased storytelling.
The participants saw the DPP as an enabler to elevate crafts and develop, for example, the textile industry to a more sustainable level by collecting data that does not exist today. Several people in the group highlighted the importance of platforms that can unify what is part of the DPP. They noted that there are already those who work with similar information but that they are rarely paired. The platform could be made possible through enhanced funding and could deliver a sustainable standard as a base for not putting too much pressure on consumers. This is also linked to the importance of establishing trust in the entire value chain, from producer to consumer and at every step in between.
- An important question is what kind of information customers need to access, says Anna Keiser Lagesson, Tailorstore. What information can the producer provide without disclosing trade secrets, but at the same time provide the transparency necessary to verify compliance with the EU acquis? We need to make the information available to everyone at all levels and so that everyone understands and trusts it. An important function is also to enable consumers to add their own information.
One group presented the possibilities of producing garments through 3D printing to decentralize production and enable more people to work on a smaller scale.
- This can reduce overproduction in the textile industry, says Rebecca Josefsson, Swedish Textile. We talked about how blockchain technology can enable communication between local production hubs and create greater transparency in the value chain. Producing textiles with high traceability is quite possible with today's technology, but we need the mechanical infrastructure to be able to manufacture yarns from different fibers locally in Sweden. With a fast-footed and local production, a fibre hub could produce yarn which is then passed on to smaller, local manufacturers.
For this to happen, funding and new infrastructure are needed.
- What can be really new is the interface between the different parts, from the yarn to the knitting machine and the shop to the sales platform, says Charlotte Lorentz Hjorth, Future by Lund. This is linked to a production where AI is used and can enable a new use of fibres, such as freeze-dried wool in 3D production.
One aspect of DPP is exploring the potential of reusing materials and making new material out of leftover resources. One group also renamed the waste “unloved material” (Unloved material) to highlight that it is a resource.
- Actually having the product passport could increase the value of what is now seen as garbage, says Christian Svensson, home crafts consultant at Hemslöjden in Skåne. Product Passport makes it easier to sort, find, give away, love it and make sure it's reused.
With a changing manufacturing industry, there will of course also be room for new solutions and innovations. Therefore, one group also highlighted the importance of scaling innovations and making business out of them.
- We need to discuss the business model from the beginning, says Marie Löwegren, School of Economics. It is particularly important to emphasise this when it comes to the cultural sector, because it is often forgotten. We need to implement more economic thinking in the sector which can also create more independence.
One of the groups discussed an idea called “on demand rapid prototyping” as a sub-category of the DPP. The underlying idea is to drive innovation and work on change through small series of prototypes. This could be done by constantly proposing new solutions, new ideas and using both SMEs (SMEs) and industry as laboratories for change. The important thing then is to use businesses with a fast process, where there is knowledge, competence and skills.
- We see many advantages of the idea, such as a diversification of product brands, which means that we get more companies, jobs, more customized products for consumers but also a more resource-efficient system, says Peter Kisch, Future by Lund. The question is also what kind of innovation support could help us. One can be collective use of production infrastructure for testing, another way is crowdfunding systems for innovative actions and the third to develop prosument communities (a prosument is simultaneously both producer and consumer, increasingly common for example in the electricity market) which can also drive development.
During the workshop, a rich material was produced by the groups walking through the steps on the canvas used within the LIEPT model. The material will be analysed and a basis for policy recommendations will be produced.
How can DPP impact the cultural and creative industries?
At the end of March, a Policy Assessment Workshop — Sustainable Manufacturing and DPP in Textile, Fashion and Crafts was held in Lund. The workshop was grounded in work around ecodesign, resilient, circular, and sustainable manufacturing and was carried out within the framework of team - an initiative in which a group of industry actors contributes to the EU's forthcoming policies for innovation in the Cultural and Creative Sectors and Industries (CCSI).
Circa a a a v a a a v v. The results from the workshop are compiled within the team and will contribute to future EU policy recommendations for innovation in the Cultural and Creative Sectors and Industries (CCSI). Lund University leads the work, with Future by Lund as one of 18 actors across Europe. The workshop was facilitated by Birgitta Persson and Katarina Scott.
Katarina Scott zegt:
“Right now, we have the opportunity to share our perspective on emerging possibilities by jointly exploring new ideas, strategic efforts, and novel constellations. We then provide feedback to the policy group.”
Lund University a Future a Lund ha desarrollo un métodotica que incluye modelo de innovación de OECD/OPSI, usado para categorizar tipos de innovaciones, e Future by Lund's Zone Model, que illustrates the kinds of interstitial (in-between) work being done. This toolkit also includes a canvas for collaboratively mapping potential innovation portfolios.
MCRS (Multicircular and Sustainable Manufacturing Industry) is a project exploring how the introduction of DPP (Digital Product Passport) can enable a circular and sustainable manufacturing system. The DPP acts as a digital twin of the product. Par equipping prodotti con un DPP, transparenza é esperado para increase—makar información sobre materiales, producción, logistique, certificados de authenticity, reparabilidad, recyclability, a connessiones para designers y artistas más visible to consumers. This transparency is anticipated to enhance product sustainability. Lars Mattiasson, project manager for MCRS sees an opportunity in the workshop.
“The workshop is a chance for team and MCRS to dive into microproduction and explore future-ready models. We can view DPP as a support mechanism for the craft sector, an enabler of a new kind of manufacturing industry, and a launchpad for many new sustainable business models. We see big changes coming in terms of transparency and verification — but also in the realm of storytelling.”
Deelnements viewed DPP as an enabler to elevate craftsmanship and develop the textile industry into a more sustainable sector by consolidating data that is currently lacking. Several people emphasized the need for platforms that integrate the elements DPP entails. While some players already work with such data, it's rarely interconnected. A centralised platform — made possible with strengthened funding—could deliver a sustainable standard, relieving some of the pressure on consumers. This also ties into the importance of building trust throughout the value chain, from producer to consumer and all steps in between. Anna Keiser Lagesson from Tailstore was one of the participants:
“A key question is what kind of information customers need access to. What can the producer disclose without revealing trade secrets, while still ensuring the transparency needed to meet EU regulations? Informazioni deve essere accessibile tra tutte le stazioni, facilmente comprese, e confidenti da tutti. Another important feature is enabling consumers to add their own data.”
Una grupa presenta 3D, med a. Rebecca Josefsson from Swedish Textile was in the group:
“This could reduce overproduction in the textile industry. We discussed how blockchain technology could allow communication between local production hubs and create increased transparency throughout the value chain. Hi-traceabiliteit textile production is absolutely possible with todays technology, but we need the right machine infrastructure to produce yarn from various fibers locally in Sweden. With agile and local production, a fiber hub could manufacture yarn and distribute it to smaller local producers.”
To make this vision a reality, both financing and new infrastructure are needed. Charlotte Lorentz Hjorth zegt:
“What could be truly new is the interface between the various components — from yarn to knitting machine, from store to sales platform. This connects to a production model where AI is used and could enable new uses for fibers, such as freeze-dried wool in 3D production.”
One key aspect of DPP is its potential to reuse materials and transform leftover resources into new materials. One group even renamed waste as “unloved materials” to emphasize its potential as a resource. Christian Svensson from Hemslöjden i Skåne explains:
“Het product passport kan.”
A shifting manufacturing landscape will naturally open the door for new solutions and innovations. One group highlighted the importance of scaling innovations and transforming them into viable business ventures. Marie Löwegren from the School of Economics and Management says:
“We need to discuss the business model from the very beginning. That's especially important in the cultural sector, where this is often overlooked. Meer financiële thinken in het secteur kan ook bij een groot independenhet. “
One group discussed a concept they called “on-demand rapid prototyping”, a subcategory of DPP. The core idea is to drive innovation and foster change through a small series of prototypes. This could involve constantly testing new ideas and solutions—using both SMEs and industry players as living labs for transformation. A crucial factor here is to work with organizations that have fast processes and strong in-house knowledge and capabilities. Peter Kisch from Future by Lund explains:
“We see a lot of benefits with this idea — like diversifying product brands, which means more companies, more jobs, more customized products for consumers, and a more resource-efficient system overall. La domanda è quale supportati di innovazione potrebbe potrebbe. One might be collective use of production infrastructure for testing; another could be crowdfunding systems for innovative efforts. A third might be the development of prosumer communities—where people are both producers and consumers, something we already see emerging in, for example, the energy market.
During the workshop, participants produced rich and detailed content as they worked through the stages of the canvas used in the LIEPT model. This material will now be analyzed and serve as the basis for policy recommendations to be developed.