Act now on digital passports

RiConnect is urging lifting equipment OEMs to act now on forthcoming digital product passports (DPPs).

Forthcoming EU legislation will mandate that all pieces of lifting equipment must have a DPP – a digital record that lasts throughout the product’s lifecycle. Tim Battersby, technical sales manager at RiConnect, told delegates at the LiftEx thought leadership conference that this must include manufacturing data such as materials and components used – potentially identifying confidential suppliers.

The digital tag must also hold relevant product certification and operator or service manuals. Crucially, it must be easy to access – OEMs cannot expect users to download an app in order to see this data. Instead, it must enable access via a smartphone either scanning a QR code or reading an RFID chip.

The DPP is part of the EU’s Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR). It is expected to be rolled out to lifting equipment at some point before 2030. However, RiConnect told OEMs to start the process now.

“Changes to manufacturers’ production lines take a huge amount of time,” said Tim. “It is very complex and inevitably there will be issues to iron out. We are encouraging manufacturers to look out for the harmonised standards and get ready now for the changes to come.”

RiConnect also has a prominent stand in the exhibition hall, where it is showcasing its recently launched DPP-compliance platform to potential customers.

The DPP securely records verified information across a product’s entire lifecycle — from manufacturing and asset management to reuse and recycling. Each product is assigned a unique digital identity generated by RiConnect.

Users can instantly access verified product data, including compliance records, inspection reports, and sustainability information, simply by scanning the QR code. With this new update, QR codes are generated directly from the RiConnect system, linking every registered DPP to its verified product data.

Read more about RiConnect in our full report from LiftEx 2025 in the next edition of ILH.