[ INSIGHT ] GLOBALCOMMERCE
by Amir Khoshniyati Head of Strategy and Business Development, Wiliot amir.khoshniyati@wiliot.com | 212-481-3456
The Next Great Convergence in Global Commerce: DPP, Ambient IoT, and GS1
Global businesses are standing at the edge of a new era in supply chain visibility and product intelligence. As the European Union begins implementing Digital Product Passport (DPP) requirements across key sectors, companies must prepare for a future in which every product is expected to carry a dynamic, digital record of its lifecycle. These mandates are already influencing how products are being designed, manufactured, tracked, and verified across global supply chains.
and unauthorized resale. In regulated industries such as pharmaceuticals and aerospace, they provide a critical layer of verifiable product history, strengthening both compliance and operational performance. These requirements aren’t confined to companies based in Europe. Any business selling into the EU will need to meet the same obligations, underscoring the urgency of global preparedness. AMBIENT IOT: REAL-TIME INTELLIGENCE AT THE ITEM LEVEL Ambient IoT introduces a sensing layer that makes DPPs dynamic, continuously updated, and contextually aware. Built on Bluetooth Low Energy and powered by harvested energy from ambient radio waves, Ambient IoT devices are compact, battery-free, and capable of detecting multiple conditions—location, temperature, humidity, motion, light, and more. They function on existing infrastructure and require no manual scanning. While barcodes and RFID tags offer static identification, Ambient IoT delivers persistent, autonomous visibility. A product equipped with this technology effectively becomes self-aware, transmitting its location, condition, and
compliance, reduces operational loss, and creates new post-sale business models rooted in trusted product data. THE DIGITAL PRODUCT PASSPORT: A CATALYST FOR TRANSPARENCY The Digital Product Passport initiative, led by the European Union, is poised to establish a common framework for sharing product-level data across industries. Initially targeting batteries, apparel, and electronics, DPP mandates require manufacturers to make detailed information—ranging from material origin to safety instructions—digitally accessible for every item sold. While DPP is closely associated with sustainability, its impact spans much further. DPPs enable the verification of claims, improve traceability across fragmented supply chains, and offer stronger protection against counterfeiting
At the same time, Ambient IoT has begun gaining meaningful traction across global supply chains. This technology enables products to track, sense, store, and transmit data in real time—offering a new level of visibility into where products are, what’s happening to them, and how they’re being handled. Finally, GS1—the global organization responsible for foundational standards such as UPCs, GTINs, and EPCs— is uniquely positioned to ensure the data generated by these systems flows seamlessly between partners, platforms, and geographies. Each of these frameworks—DPP, Ambient IoT, and GS1—is significant on its own. But when brought together, they unlock a new architecture for digital commerce, one that enables item- level traceability, automates regulatory
22 Inbound Logistics • February 2026
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