How data is transforming construction
From 2027, the digital product passport will be mandatory for energy-intensive industries in the European Union. What sounds like mere regulation at first glance is becoming a strategic factor for the European construction sector and also for Switzerland. For companies that export to the EU or realise projects there, the traceability of materials, resources and production data will become a decisive competitive feature.
“At first, I also thought it was an EU thing,” says Prof Dr Adrian Wildenauer, an expert in digital construction. “But the impact on the Swiss construction industry is enormous.”
The product passport requires every construction product, from cement to wood to window profiles, to be digitally documented. Information on origin, composition, energy consumption and recyclability must be transparent and easy to find, usually via a QR code or data link.
This change is affecting an industry in which material data has often been scattered. Anyone who produces without DPP in future will lose access to the European market. For Swiss manufacturers, this means no delivery and therefore no sales without data. The pressure to adapt is correspondingly high.
Data quality is key
Many companies already have valuable information, but in different systems and formats. Wildenauer sees this as the critical weak point: “I can see that manufacturers are increasingly becoming data traders. But not every small company can afford complete data storage.”
He advocates a national coordination centre that bundles norms, tools and standards for the construction industry. “We need to helvetise this,” he says. “Quickly, pragmatically and jointly.” Only with a coordinated data strategy across Switzerland will it be possible to avoid fragmentation and duplication.
Transparency creates trust
The digital product passport is more than just a regulatory requirement. It creates market transparency and new quality standards. When Swiss products appear in the European databases, this strengthens visibility and credibility. This step can make a decisive difference, especially in a global environment that focuses on CO₂ reduction and the circular economy.
By disclosing the entire life cycle of materials, from extraction to use to dismantling, resource efficiency takes centre stage. “The old principle of ‘make, take, waste’ has had its day,” explains Wildenauer. “If you reuse materials, you save resources and become more independent.”
New skills are emerging
The focus on data is changing professions and processes in the construction industry. Profiles such as data managers, material certifiers and traceability specialists will emerge. These new fields of activity combine technical and digital expertise with construction practice and sustainability.
For companies, the change starts now. “Don’t run around like a headless chicken,” advises Wildenauer. “Just get started. What data do I have, what’s missing?” An initial inventory is enough to bring order to the system. Artificial intelligence can later help to recognise patterns and automate processes. But without clean basic data, the benefits are limited.
Digitalisation as an opportunity
The digital product passport marks a new era of transparency and efficiency in the construction industry. It requires a rethink, but offers enormous opportunities. Companies that act early secure a strong market position and gain the trust of investors, clients and end customers.
Wildenauer puts it in a nutshell: “This is not a threat, but an invitation to create order and work together to make construction more resilient and sustainable.”