A Digital Battery Passport (DBP) brings together information from different stages of a battery's lifecycle, from product design and manufacturing to environmental performance, use and end-of-life management. For IT architects and developers, the challenge is connecting these sources into a secure, interoperable system without disrupting existing business applications.
In our previous article, How to Connect PLM Data to Digital Battery Passport Across the Battery Lifecycle, we explored how Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) systems provide important engineering and product information. But turning this data into a reliable passport also requires an architecture that connects systems, validates information, manages access and enables secure data exchange.
This article explores the key layers of a Digital Battery Passport integration architecture and the design considerations for building a flexible, interoperable solution.
What Should a Digital Battery Passport Architecture Achieve?
Under Article 77 of Regulation (EU) 2023/1542, the Battery Passport must contain information about the battery model and the individual battery, including relevant information resulting from its use. From 18 February 2027, the requirement applies to electric vehicle batteries, light means of transport batteries and industrial batteries with a capacity greater than 2 kWh placed on the market or put into service.
Article 78 establishes essential technical requirements for the Passport. These include interoperability with other Digital Product Passports, secure data handling, access based on user rights and the use of open standards and interoperable data exchange without vendor lock-in.
A suitable architecture should therefore support several core functions: collecting information from existing systems, validating and processing it, linking it to the correct battery, storing or retrieving the relevant records, and delivering the information according to defined access rights.
The Main Layers of a Digital Battery Passport Tech Stack
There is no single technology stack that suits every manufacturer. The right design depends on the organisation's existing systems, data volumes, security requirements and operational model. However, a layered architecture provides a useful starting point.
1. Source Systems and Data Collection
The first layer consists of the systems that generate or maintain battery information.
These may include Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) systems for engineering specifications, Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) for production records, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) platforms for business and supplier data, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) tools for environmental results, and Battery Management Systems (BMS) for operational information.
The architecture should identify which system owns each data point and how that information can be retrieved. Depending on the source, collection may use APIs, scheduled data exchanges, event-driven interfaces or controlled manual submissions.
The goal is to reuse reliable existing information rather than duplicate every source record in the Passport platform.
2. Integration and Data Processing
The integration layer connects source systems with the Passport environment. It handles data transfer, format conversion, identifier mapping and other transformations required to make information usable across different applications.
For example, a manufacturer might store a product reference in its PLM system, a production batch in MES and an individual battery serial number in a manufacturing database. Integration logic must preserve the relationships between these identifiers so that information reaches the correct Passport.
A data-processing layer can also check mandatory fields, normalise units, identify duplicates and flag inconsistent records before publication.
This is where How to Map Existing Business Data to Battery Passport Requirements becomes relevant. Mapping requirements to source fields and validation rules helps prevent integration work from becoming a series of disconnected data transfers.
3. Data Storage and Passport Management
The next layer manages the Passport records and their supporting information.
The architecture should distinguish between data that must be available through the Passport and detailed evidence that can remain in its source system. For example, the Passport may provide a relevant performance indicator while the underlying measurements and calculation records remain in a manufacturer's operational environment.
Depending on the implementation, the system may use a central database, distributed storage or a combination of approaches. The important requirements are reliable retrieval, appropriate retention, security, data integrity and the ability to maintain accurate, complete and up-to-date Passport information.
A modular design also makes it easier to change a storage component without rebuilding the entire integration stack.
4. Identity, Access Control and Security
A Battery Passport needs a reliable identity mechanism connecting the physical battery to its digital record.
Article 77 requires the Passport to be accessible through a QR code linked to a unique identifier. That identifier must follow the applicable standards specified by the Regulation.
The architecture must also distinguish between public information and information available only to authorised parties. Authentication, authorisation, encryption, audit logging and secure credential management can help enforce these controls.
Access should be defined at the data level as well as the application level. A user who can view public battery information should not automatically gain access to restricted technical or commercial records.
5. Data Exchange and User Access
The final layer makes relevant Passport information available to users and connected applications.
A QR code can provide the entry point for accessing a Passport, while APIs support machine-to-machine communication with authorised external systems. These interfaces may serve manufacturers, service providers, recyclers and other parties according to their permitted access.
The architecture should use documented interfaces and consistent data formats wherever possible. This supports interoperability and reduces the risk of becoming dependent on a single technology provider.
The European Commission's Digital Product Passport Registry and technical resources provide further context on the EU's developing infrastructure, including standards for identifiers, APIs, data exchange and storage.
How Should Data Flow Through the Architecture?
A simple end-to-end workflow can help teams define the responsibilities of each layer:
Source Systems → Data Integration → Validation and Transformation → Passport Record → Access Control → User or External Application
Consider a battery manufacturer adding production information to a Passport. The integration layer retrieves the relevant MES record, checks that it matches the correct battery identifier, validates required fields and prepares the data for publication. The Passport service then makes the approved information available according to the relevant access rights.
Each step should have clear ownership, error handling and monitoring. If a source system is unavailable or a validation check fails, the integration should flag the issue rather than silently publish incomplete or inconsistent data.
Organisations should also preserve data lineage so that published values can be traced to their origins. Our article on Battery Passport Data Lineage explores this process in more detail.
Build For Change, Not Just Initial Compliance
Battery Passport data and technical requirements may evolve, while manufacturers will continue to change products, suppliers and internal systems. The architecture should therefore support controlled updates without requiring a complete redesign.
This means separating components, versioning interfaces and data schemas, monitoring integration failures and maintaining clear records of changes. Validation rules should also be updated when applicable requirements or source data structures change.
Security and governance must evolve alongside the technology. Organisations should define who owns each data field, who approves updates and how corrections are handled. Battery Passport Data Governance provides further guidance on these responsibilities.
How BASE Approaches Digital Battery Passport Integration
The BASE project is developing and validating a trusted, interoperable Digital Battery Passport framework for the battery value chain. Its focus on data authenticity, traceability, interoperability and privacy by design aligns with the need for an architecture that connects different source systems while preserving data integrity and appropriate access controls. BASE's work on Passport development and integration addresses the wider challenge of making relevant battery information usable and trustworthy across the lifecycle.
Choosing The Right Architecture for Your Digital Battery Passport
A successful Digital Battery Passport tech stack does not depend on adopting the most complex technology. It depends on connecting the right data sources, maintaining reliable battery identities, validating information and exchanging it securely through interoperable interfaces.
For IT architects and developers, the practical starting point is to map regulatory requirements to existing systems, establish data ownership and design the integration and access layers around clear responsibilities.
A modular, standards-based architecture can help manufacturers prepare for Battery Passport implementation while retaining flexibility as their systems and regulatory obligations develop.
The BASE project has received funding from the Horizon Europe Framework Programme (HORIZON) Research and Innovation Actions under grant agreement No. 101157200.
References & Resources
European Union - Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 Concerning Batteries and Waste Batteries: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/1542/oj
European Commission - The Digital Product Passport Registry Is Now Live: https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/news/digital-product-passport-registry-now-live-2026-07-20_en
European Commission - EU Digital Product Passport FAQ for Batteries: https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/single-market/digital-product-passport/eu-digital-product-passport-faq-batteries_en
European Commission - Digital Product Passport: https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/single-market/digital-product-passport_en
European Commission - Digital Product Passport for Batteries: https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/single-market/digital-product-passport/batteries_en