Suzhou, China — March 26, 2026

The National Advanced Functional Fiber Innovation Center (NAFFIC) and AWARE™, the Dutch supply chain traceability platform, today unveiled the world’s first China–Europe Digital Product Passport (DPP) for a textile product — a landmark collaboration that redefines the relationship between Asian manufacturers and the global regulated marketplace. The announcement was made at the “Trace to Renew, Weave a Zero-Carbon Future” Summit held at Le Méridien Suzhou, attended by 250-300 government officials and textile industry leaders from across China and Europe.

A New Chapter for Global Supply Chain Transparency

The Digital Product Passport — a key requirement of the European Union’s Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), mandatory from 2027 — provides verified, scannable proof of a product’s material origin, manufacturing journey, and environmental footprint. Until today, no such passport had been created bridging Chinese production infrastructure with European compliance standards.

The first China–Europe DPP traces a complete recycled polyester supply chain: from post-consumer plastic bottles collected in China, processed into flakes and verified by NAFFIC’s Sustainable Textiles Credible Platform (STCP), spun into yarn by Jiangsu Reborn Eco-Tech, woven into fabric by Wujiang City Chaodai Textiles, and manufactured into a finished garment by Suzhou Qiandai Life Technology Development — for European promotional textiles brand Iqoniq. Every step of the chain is recorded on public blockchain, independently verifiable, and accessible to any consumer, regulator, or brand worldwide by scanning a single QR code.

‍“This is not just a European regulation. It is a transformation of global supply chains — and it starts here in China. For the first time, Chinese producers can give brands what they need most: irrefutable, blockchain-verified proof of what went into their product and where it came from. The data does not exist in brand head offices. It is created in factories. We can make that data tradable.” — Feico van der Veen, Founder, AWARE™

How It Works: From Bottle to Brand in One Scan

The NAFFIC–AWARE™ system combines two complementary platforms. NAFFIC’s STCP records and verifies the origin of recycled feedstock — issuing Feedstock Source Declarations and Transaction Certificates at the raw material stage. AWARE™ then takes over downstream, generating unique blockchain-anchored data tokens for each production batch and a Material Digital Product Passport. As materials move from yarn spinner to weaving mill to garment factory, each material transaction is automatically recorded, producing a Crypto TC® (the world’s first blockchain-issued Transaction Certificate), and a Traceability Record of transactions so far.

By the time a product reaches the finished goods stage, its data token carries a complete, tamper-proof history: every material, every producer, every compliance record, every shipping document, every report, every carbon calculation — from the origin of the recycled bottles to the brand’s purchase order. A unique QR code is generated for every product, delivering a fully EU-compliant Digital Product Passport accessible to consumers anywhere in the world. The system also produces automated Impact Reports calculating the product’s real carbon footprint from verified production data — not estimates or industry averages — as well as Traceability Reports and country-specific Customs Reports.

Shifting the Power Dynamic: Producers at the Centre

‍The NAFFIC–AWARE™ collaboration represents a fundamental shift in the relationship between Asian manufacturers and Western brands. Where brands previously sat at the top of the supply chain — issuing audits and rules while producers waited for approval — the Digital Product Passport inverts this dynamic. Chinese producers become the originators of the trusted data that every European brand will need to meet mandatory compliance requirements. Brands do not have this data. Factories do.

From 2027, every textile product entering Europe must carry verified proof of its materials and production journey. Materials manufactured today will reach European consumers as finished products within one to three years. Chinese producers who build the data infrastructure now will be the suppliers European brands actively seek out.

Additional Milestones Announced at the Summit

Alongside the DPP launch, the summit marked several additional industry firsts. Wujiang’s benchmark enterprise Shenghong was presented with China’s first Zero/Negative Carbon Certificate by the Wujiang Market Supervision and Administration Bureau in partnership with CQC and Intertek — recognising the company’s leadership in combining carbon management with verified traceability. China Unicom simultaneously launched the Yangtze River Delta Product Carbon Footprint Certification Service Platform, providing a regional digital infrastructure for product carbon footprint verification at scale. Multiple key industry standards for Industrial Internet Identification Resolution in textile fabric and chemical fiber were also formally released, establishing a shared technical foundation for the sector.

‍“Suzhou is one of the most important textile cities in the world. China’s synthetic industry — its scale, its quality, its innovations — is the backbone of global fashion and textiles. What NAFFIC and AWARE™ have built together is unique. This is more than technology. This is China and Europe working together. A new Digital Silk Road.” — Mr. Chao, speaking at the Yangtze River Delta Summit, Suzhou, March 26, 2026

A Commercial Advantage for Early Movers

Beyond regulatory compliance, the AWARE™ platform delivers a direct commercial advantage for producers. When product data tokens are connected to a brand purchase order, yarn and fibre producers gain complete downstream visibility — the ability to see in real time exactly which brands and which end products their materials were used in. This is a capability no existing certification system provides.

The system also offers a compelling cost advantage over traditional certification models. The Crypto TC®, AWARE™'s blockchain-issued Transaction Certificate, carries the same value as a conventional Transaction Certificate but is generated instantly and automatically at no additional cost per transaction — eliminating waiting time, third-party fees, and administrative burden for every transfer in the chain.

But perhaps most importantly, the data underlying every Crypto TC® is fully transparent. Producers are no longer simply claiming compliance — they are demonstrating it. That distinction is the foundation of real accountability, and real accountability is how trust is earned.

About AWARE™

AWARE™ is a supply chain traceability platform founded by Feico van der Veen, headquartered in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Built for producers — not brands, not auditors — AWARE™ makes production data tradable through blockchain-anchored Data Tokens. AWARE™ is the only traceability solution designed to give manufacturers sovereign access to regulated global markets on their own terms. With over 30 years of textile supply chain experience, the AWARE™ team operates at the intersection of production, technology, and EU regulation.

About NAFFIC (National Advanced Functional Fiber Innovation Center)

NAFFIC is China’s national centre for advanced functional fiber research and industry development, based in Wujiang, Suzhou. Through its Sustainable Textiles Credible Platform (STCP), NAFFIC provides China’s leading infrastructure for full-chain traceability of recycled and sustainable textile raw materials — from feedstock collection through to manufacturing. NAFFIC’s collaboration with AWARE™ establishes the first verified bridge between Chinese upstream production data and European downstream regulatory requirements.

---

‍Event Details

Event: “Trace to Renew, Weave a Zero-Carbon Future” — Yangtze River Delta Textile Industry

Chain Trustworthy Traceability and Zero-Carbon Development Summit

Date: March 26, 2026

Venue: Le Méridien Suzhou, China

Host: Wujiang Market Supervision and Administration Bureau

Partners: NAFFIC, AWARE™, CQC, Intertek, China Unicom

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/qT5HkPWnpEwi7ACHenyLxA

---

Media Contact

AWARE™

feico@wearaware.co

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

+31654365044

Photos & Videos

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1cB9-9qAxuPSiHXJ9IaWwkSiJABNHY8dO?usp=sharing