do I need special software to create a digital product passport

No, no special software required by regulation

The ESPR does not prescribe a particular software package, system or brand. What the regulation does establish are requirements for the outcome: the digital product passport must contain data that is accessible in a specified manner via a data carrier, it must comply with certain technical and organisational requirements, and it must be consultable by those entitled to do so. How a manufacturer or importer arranges this technically — with a self-developed system, a module in the ERP package, or a service from an external party — is not laid down in law. There is therefore no mandatory "product passport software" that appears on a list somewhere and must be purchased. What there must be is a functioning whole that meets the requirements of the regulation, and that is a different question from which software is used for it.

For mattresses this applies, for the administration behind it not automatically

This freedom of means applies to the digital product passport for mattresses as the ESPR will require it: the data carrier, the storage and the disclosure of the passport data. It does not apply to everything else a manufacturer or importer already uses or must use in terms of software. An accounting system, an inventory management package or a CE marking file fall outside this regulation and have their own rules. Nor does it apply to the question of whether a particular system is "good enough" — that is not assessed on the basis of the brand or supplier of the software, but on whether the outcome meets the requirements of the regulation. A spreadsheet that happens to meet all requirements is in theory just as valid as an expensive specialist solution; conversely, an expensive system does not automatically comply simply because it is expensive.

No fixed date yet, but already fixed requirements for the design

When the digital product passport becomes mandatory for mattresses is not yet fixed; that will follow from a delegated act that still needs to be published for this product category. Until that time, there is no obligation to already operate a product passport. What is already fixed, however, are the general technical requirements in the ESPR that a digital product passport will have to meet, regardless of which software it is built with. These requirements concern, amongst other things, interoperability, the use of open standards and the manner in which data must be made accessible. Those who are already choosing or developing software can therefore take these requirements as a starting point, even though the mandatory entry date for mattresses themselves is not yet known.

Where to begin when choosing a system

The practical sequence does not begin with software, but with the data: first it must be clarified which product information will eventually go into the passport, before looking at how that information is technically stored and disclosed. After that comes the question of how each mattress receives a unique identification code , because that code is the link between the physical product and the digital data about it. Next, it is a choice whether that process is set up internally or outsourced to a party that handles storage and disclosure — that is precisely where a platform such as this one fits in, by compiling the passport from the supplied data and providing the hosting and the QR data carrier. For companies that already work with an ERP or inventory system, it is subsequently relevant whether and how that system can be linked to the product passport, so that data does not have to be entered twice. Those who prefer to see the bigger picture first before making a system choice can also start with the question of how the European product passport register relates to their own passport, because that register is a mandatory component alongside whichever software is chosen.

This follows from articles 9, 10 and 11 of the ESPR

The basis is established in Article 9 of the ESPR (Regulation (EU) 2024/1781), which introduces the digital product passport as an instrument. Article 10 of the ESPR elaborates on the substantive requirements that a passport must meet, without prescribing a specific technology or supplier. Article 11 of the ESPR specifically addresses the technical design and operation of the digital product passport, and states requirements such as interoperability and the use of open standards — requirements that apply to the result, not to the tool used to achieve that result. Together, these three articles demonstrate that the regulation is designed functionally: it governs what a passport must be capable of and how it must be accessible, and leaves the choice of software to those who compile the passport.

Anyone who wishes to prepare now can best start by organizing their own product data and establishing an identification system per mattress, so that a solid foundation is in place once the delegated act for mattresses is published — the choice for a specific software system can follow thereafter, based on the technical requirements that will then apply.