Master Thesis: Digital Product Passport (DPP) for steel & aluminium: Policy

We want to be more! The research institute Swerim conducts needs-based industrial research and development concerning metals and their route from raw material to finished product. Swerim has 200 co-workers in two locations in Sweden - Luleå and Stockholm. Our vision is a fossil-free and circular industry.

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Background
The European Union is introducing Digital Product Passports (DPPs), part of the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), to serve as a key mechanism for improving transparency, circularity, traceability, and overall environmental sustainability of products across the value chain. As an essential component of the European Circular Economy Strategy, the DPP aims to bridge the gap between the consumers’ demand for transparency and the limited availability of reliable product information. The DPP will become mandatory for several product groups, including steel and aluminium, on the EU market. To effectively implement the legal requirements for DPPs in the Swedish steel and aluminum sectors, it is essential to have a good understanding of several key aspects, such as the DPP-related policy landscape and relevant existing company-level data used for different environmental and sustainability purposes.
 
This thesis work will be supported by the ongoing strategic project Digital Metal Values, funded by the Swedish Metals & Minerals program (part of Impact Innovation - an initiative of the Swedish Energy Agency, Formas, and Vinnova). The project is coordinated by the metals research institute Swerim (https://www.swerim.se/en) in collaboration with 25 project partners.
 
Purpose and scope
The purpose of the thesis is to summarize the EU policy landscape related to DPPs for metals, map relevant company-level data sources, and identify and analyze potential gaps in data required for the development of DPPs. Examples of key tasks include:
* Providing a comprehensive summary of EU and Swedish regulations and policy instruments related to DPPs
* Collecting and categorizing relevant company-level data sources that are currently used in various contexts and may contribute to the development of DPPs
* identifying differences in DPP-related policy instruments and data availability between the steel and aluminium sectors
* Assessing DPP-related data gaps and exploring potential opportunities to improve data access and quality   


 
The thesis work will be carried out in close collaboration with researcher and industrial partners in the project Digital Metal Values and will include interviews with relevant actors.
 
Prerequisites
Applicants should be independent, proactive, and have strong oral and written English skills, as well as good collaboration abilities. Proficiency in Swedish is considered as an advantage. Previous knowledge and experience in metal value chains, life cycle assessment (LCA), and environmental systems analysis are preferred but not mandatory.
 
Qualifications
Student in industrial economics and management, sustainable production, industrial ecology, environmental systems analysis, circular economy, or similar fields. Experience with sustainability assessment, stakeholder mapping, policy analysis, data interoperability, metallurgy, and/or working in an industry and/or research environment will be considered as an advantage.

Project time
The project is intended for a master thesis (30hp). The start date is January or February 2026 or can be mutually decided through negotiations.

Further information
This project, written in english is intended to be performed at Swerim in Stockholm. Swerim rewards the student with 50 000 SEK for an approved master thesis (30hp).

For further information please contact: Xingqiang Song, supervisor at Swerim, PhD, Researcher, Business Area Metallurgy, xingqiang.song@swerim.se

Application
Apply by using the application function below. The application, written in English or Swedish. Latest date for application is January 10. You will receive a confirmation that Swerim has received your application. Please note that we fill the position as soon as we find a suitable applicant, which means we can fill the position before the deadline.