Julian Sotek

Founders Associate, sqanit

As Founder's Associate at sqanit and contributor to DPP.cloud, he supports research, content strategy, and market analysis around Digital Product Passports, connected products, digital identities, and product lifecycle management. His articles translate complex EU regulations, compliance requirements, and emerging technologies into practical guidance, helping manufacturers prepare for the future of sustainable and connected products.

Recent Posts by this Author

PPWR vs. Digital Product Passport: Is EU Packaging Regulation the Same as the DPP?
Manufacturers keep asking about PPWR and DPP in the same breath. They're not the same obligation. Here's what each regulation actually requires on your QR code, and when.
Julian Sotek
August 31, 2026
Circular Economy Revenue: How the Digital Product Passport Turns Returns into a Business
The EU circular material use rate is stuck near 12 percent, and regulation alone will not move it. What moves it is unit-level product data that makes second-life business profitable. Four models with numbers, from brand-owned resale to materials recovery.
Julian Sotek
August 31, 2026
Osapiens Alternatives 2026: 10 DPP Platforms When You Need a Passport, Not an ESG Suite
Osapiens makes sense when a corporation consolidates CSRD, supply chain due diligence, and DPP into one platform. When the actual job is compliant passports for your catalog, focused alternatives cost a fraction and go live in weeks. Ten options compared, with the three-year TCO math.
Julian Sotek
August 31, 2026
Spherity Alternatives 2026: 10 DPP Platforms for Manufacturers Without Enterprise Budgets
Spherity earns its enterprise position through verifiable credentials and battery passport depth. But at 50,000 to 150,000 euros per year, mid-market manufacturers need alternatives. Ten platforms compared, including when Spherity is genuinely the right call.
Julian Sotek
August 26, 2026
Tappr Alternatives 2026: 10 DPP Platforms Compared for Manufacturers Who Need More Than Compliance
Tappr wins on entry price. Alternatives win when you need unit-level passports, a service layer on the QR code, or a 2-week PIM-based rollout. Ten platforms compared with honest fit recommendations, including when to just stay with Tappr.
Julian Sotek
August 26, 2026
Digital Product Passport with Salsify: The DPP as One More Syndication Channel
Brands on Salsify already syndicate content to demanding channels. The EU Digital Product Passport is one more, with a schema set by law. Learn how the integration works, why retail-hardened data is an advantage, and which category timelines actually apply.
Julian Sotek
August 18, 2026
Digital Product Passport from SAP Data: Add-on Project or API Connector
Material master, classification, DMS: the DPP data is already in SAP. The question is whether you run a year-long add-on project or connect a passport platform over OData in weeks. Both paths compared, with the honest caveats.
Julian Sotek
August 3, 2026
Digital Product Passport Beyond Compliance: What Forrester's 2026 Report Means for ESPR
A new Forrester report argues most digital product passports fail for the same reason: they show every data field to everyone instead of designing for who is actually scanning. Here is what that means if you are building an ESPR-compliant DPP right now, and what a role-based passport looks like in practice.
Julian Sotek
July 27, 2026
Build or Buy Your Digital Product Passport? The Real Cost Comparison for Manufacturers
The passport page is 10 percent of the work. Registry integration, standards conformance, and regulatory tracking through 2030 are the other 90. A cost breakdown of both paths, with the three conditions under which building is defensible.
Julian Sotek
July 21, 2026
EU Approves the First Digital Product Passport Standards: Implementing Decision 2026/1736 Explained
Implementing Decision 2026/1736 gave the Digital Product Passport its first six harmonised standards, covering data exchange, identifiers, data carriers, storage, APIs, and interoperability. Here is what each one governs and what it means if you are building or buying DPP tooling.
Julian Sotek
July 21, 2026
Digital Product Passport with Akeneo: From PIM Attributes to Compliant DPP in 3 Weeks
Your Akeneo attributes already cover most of what ESPR requires. This guide shows the exact mapping, a real 3-week project timeline, typical data gaps, and what the integration costs.
Julian Sotek
July 16, 2026
EU Commission Releases Official Digital Product Passport FAQs: Key Takeaways for Manufacturers
The European Commission just published an official FAQ document on the Digital Product Passport – a massive relief for manufacturers, importers, and online platforms. For the first time, there are clear answers to the most pressing implementation questions. We break down the key takeaways.
Julian Sotek
June 19, 2026
iPoint-systems Alternatives 2025: Best Digital Product Passport Platforms for Industrial Manufacturers & OEMs
Manufacturers of physical goods are facing a double-edged challenge. On one hand, both consumers and legislators are demanding more transparency about a product’s origin, materials, and lifecycle.
Julian Sotek
May 26, 2026
Narravero Alternatives 2025: Best DPP Platforms for Marketing-Driven Brands & Consumer Engagement
Manufacturers of physical goods are facing a double-edged challenge. On one hand, both consumers and legislators are demanding more transparency about a product’s origin, materials, and lifecycle. On the other hand, fragmented data and limited channels to reach end users make it difficult to meet those expectations effectively.
Julian Sotek
May 26, 2026
EU Machinery Regulation 2027: How Digital Documentation Changes Compliance for Manufacturers
When the EU Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 takes effect in 2027, digital documentation becomes the default. What looks like compliance pressure is a chance to build product-level transparency, improve traceability, and turn regulatory duties into a long-term competitive advantage.
Julian Sotek
January 29, 2026
Build or Buy Your Digital Product Passport? The Real Cost Comparison for Manufacturers
Business Case & ROI
July 21, 2026

Build or Buy Your Digital Product Passport? The Real Cost Comparison for Manufacturers

The passport page is 10 percent of the work. Registry integration, standards conformance, and regulatory tracking through 2030 are the other 90. A cost breakdown of both paths, with the three conditions under which building is defensible.

Learn more
EU Approves the First Digital Product Passport Standards: Implementing Decision 2026/1736 Explained
ESPR & EU Regulations
July 21, 2026

EU Approves the First Digital Product Passport Standards: Implementing Decision 2026/1736 Explained

Implementing Decision 2026/1736 gave the Digital Product Passport its first six harmonised standards, covering data exchange, identifiers, data carriers, storage, APIs, and interoperability. Here is what each one governs and what it means if you are building or buying DPP tooling.

Learn more
Digital Product Passport with Akeneo: From PIM Attributes to Compliant DPP in 3 Weeks
Implementation & Integration
July 16, 2026

Digital Product Passport with Akeneo: From PIM Attributes to Compliant DPP in 3 Weeks

Your Akeneo attributes already cover most of what ESPR requires. This guide shows the exact mapping, a real 3-week project timeline, typical data gaps, and what the integration costs.

Learn more
EU Commission Releases Official Digital Product Passport FAQs: Key Takeaways for Manufacturers
ESPR & EU Regulations
June 19, 2026

EU Commission Releases Official Digital Product Passport FAQs: Key Takeaways for Manufacturers

The European Commission just published an official FAQ document on the Digital Product Passport – a massive relief for manufacturers, importers, and online platforms. For the first time, there are clear answers to the most pressing implementation questions. We break down the key takeaways.

Learn more
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