---
title: "The Digital Twin Vision | OpenEPCIS Docs | OpenEPCIS - an open-core, GS1-compliant EPCIS implementation."
canonical_url: "https://openepcis.io/de/docs/vision"
last_updated: "2026-06-28T23:25:39.111Z"
meta:
  author: "benelog GmbH & Co. KG"
  description: "How UNTP, DIDs, Verifiable Credentials, and EPCIS work together to create unified product identity infrastructure for the connected supply chain."
  keywords: "Digital Twin, DID, Decentralized Identifier, Verifiable Credentials, UNTP, RFID, EPCIS, Industry 4.0, Web 3.0, selective disclosure, digital product passport"
  "og:description": "How UNTP, DIDs, Verifiable Credentials, and EPCIS work together to create unified product identity infrastructure for the connected supply chain."
  "og:title": "The Digital Twin Vision"
  "twitter:description": "How UNTP, DIDs, Verifiable Credentials, and EPCIS work together to create unified product identity infrastructure for the connected supply chain."
  "twitter:title": "The Digital Twin Vision"
---

</h2>Home

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# **The Digital Twin Vision** How UNTP, DIDs, Verifiable Credentials, and EPCIS work together to create unified product identity infrastructure for the connected supply chain. [~~vision~~](https://openepcis.io/de/tags/vision)· [~~digital-twin~~](https://openepcis.io/de/tags/digital-twin)· [~~did~~](https://openepcis.io/de/tags/did)· [~~verifiable-credentials~~](https://openepcis.io/de/tags/verifiable-credentials)· [~~untp~~](https://openepcis.io/de/tags/untp)· [~~rfid~~](https://openepcis.io/de/tags/rfid)· [~~industry-4-0~~](https://openepcis.io/de/tags/industry-4-0)· [~~web-3-0~~](https://openepcis.io/de/tags/web-3-0)· 13 min read ## Introduction: Beyond the Product Label When a consumer scans a QR code on a product, they see information: materials, origin, sustainability data. What they don't see is the infrastructure that makes it trustworthy and secure. Beneath that simple scan lies a sophisticated trust architecture built on three pillars: | **Pillar** | **Function** | **Technology** |
| --- | --- | --- | | **Identification** | Who/what is this? | DIDs (Decentralized Identifiers), GS1 Digital Link | | **Credentials** | What claims can be verified? | Verifiable Credentials (VCs), trust anchors | | **Events** | What happened to this product? | EPCIS 2.0, supply chain tracking | This document explains how these technologies converge to create a unified approach to product identity infrastructure, and why EPCIS serves as the universal glue layer that ties everything together. ## The RFID Origin Story: Why EPCIS Exists To understand why EPCIS matters, we need to understand the problem it was designed to solve. ### The Data Integration Nightmare**1970s-1990s: The Barcode Revolution** Barcodes revolutionized point-of-sale operations but had a fundamental limitation: they identified product _types_, not individual _items_. Every can of soup with the same barcode was indistinguishable from every other can.**1990s-2000s: The RFID Promise** Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) promised item-level visibility. Each product could have a unique identifier, enabling: - Real-time inventory tracking - Anti-counterfeiting at the item level - Automated supply chain operations But RFID created a new problem: **data integration chaos**. Different RFID systems used different data formats. A tag read at a manufacturer's warehouse couldn't be meaningfully combined with a tag read at a retailer's distribution center.**The Gap**: How do you capture _what happened_ to products when the identification technology keeps changing? ### MIT Auto-ID Center (1999-2003) The MIT Auto-ID Center was founded at MIT in 1999 to address this challenge. The consortium drew in researchers, partner universities, and dozens of sponsor companies from retail, consumer goods, and logistics. Their key insight: RFID needs a **common language** for describing events, independent of the specific hardware or protocol used.**Timeline:**| **Year** | **Development** |
| --- | --- | | 1999 | MIT Auto-ID Center founded (RFID focus) | | 2003 | Auto-ID Center work transitioned to EPCglobal, a joint venture of EAN International and the Uniform Code Council (which merged in 2005 to form GS1) | | ~2007 | **EPCIS 1.0 ratified** as a GS1 EPCglobal standard, building on (and ultimately superseding) the earlier Physical Markup Language (PML) work | | 2014 | EPCIS 1.1 | | 2016 | EPCIS 1.2 | | 2022 | **EPCIS 2.0** — JSON-LD, sensor data, Web URIs | ### Technology-Agnostic by Design Here's what makes EPCIS so valuable: **it was designed to be technology-agnostic from the very beginning**. While RFID made the need for such a standard undeniably clear, organizations still working with barcodes recognised the same potential. The event model was intentionally designed to work regardless of the underlying identification technology. The standard's RFID-oriented origins didn't constrain its adoption: EPCIS is in use today in deployments that rely entirely on barcodes, or on barcodes in combination with RFID. The same event model works for any auto-ID technology — barcodes, RFID, QR codes, NFC, or IoT sensors. EPCIS 2.0 continued this tradition by bridging to GS1 Digital Link and full 2D code support - again, not by coincidence but by intentional design to meet the evolving needs of global supply chains. ### Why the standard matters today RFID adoption keeps accelerating — pushed by retailer mandates for item-level tagging, by item-level inventory and anti-shrinkage programmes, and by the spread of battery-free sensor tags that report temperature, humidity, and other supply-chain conditions. Each new wave of carriers and sensors lands in the same event model. That's the point: as auto-ID technologies evolve, organisations need **one** event model that works regardless of the data carrier. EPCIS is that model. ## 2D Codes: The Consumer Bridge While RFID excels in logistics and warehouses, 2D codes provide the essential bridge to consumers. ### Why Both Technologies Matter | **Context** | **Preferred Technology** | **Reason** |
| --- | --- | --- | | Warehouse dock door | RFID | High-speed bulk scanning, no line-of-sight needed | | Retail inventory | RFID | Rapid store-wide inventory counts | | Consumer access | QR Code | Universal smartphone scanning | | Small components | DataMatrix | Fits on PCBs, medical devices, tiny parts | | Authentication tap | NFC | Quick, intuitive user experience | ### QR Code vs DataMatrix Both 2D code types can carry GS1 Digital Link URIs, but they serve different use cases: | **Feature** | **QR Code** | **DataMatrix** |
| --- | --- | --- | | **Capacity** | Up to 4,296 alphanumeric | Up to 2,335 alphanumeric | | **Error correction** | Up to 30% recovery | Up to 25% recovery | | **Minimum size** | ~21x21 modules | ~10x10 modules | | **Primary scanner** | Any smartphone camera | Industrial scanners preferred | | **Primary use** | Consumer-facing, marketing | Industrial, healthcare, small parts | | **GS1 standard** | GS1 QR Code | GS1 DataMatrix |**Use case differentiation:**- **QR Code**: Consumer scans DPP on product packaging, marketing campaigns, retail displays - **DataMatrix**: Small electronics components, pharmaceutical vials, medical devices, PCB marking - **Both**: Encode GS1 Digital Link URIs that resolve to the same product information ### The Key Principle![Any data carrier resolves to a GS1 Digital Link URI that drives EPCIS events](https://openepcis.io/diagrams/vision-key-principle-light.svg)![Any data carrier resolves to a GS1 Digital Link URI that drives EPCIS events](https://openepcis.io/diagrams/vision-key-principle-dark.svg)**EPCIS doesn't care HOW you identified the product. It captures WHAT happened.** This technology-agnostic design is why a system built in 2007 for RFID handles 2D codes, NFC, and IoT sensors without architectural changes. ## Industry 4.0 and Web 3.0: The Convergence Two major technology movements are converging on the same infrastructure needs that EPCIS addresses. ### Industry 4.0 (Smart Manufacturing) Industry 4.0 refers to the fourth industrial revolution: cyber-physical systems, IoT, and data-driven manufacturing.**Characteristics:**- RFID/IoT sensors on production lines generating real-time events - Digital twins synchronized with physical products - Predictive maintenance from sensor data - Cyber-physical systems: physical products with digital identities**EPCIS Connection:** The "How" dimension (sensor data) in EPCIS 2.0 was designed precisely for this use case. Temperature, humidity, location, and other sensor readings are captured as part of the event model. ### Web 3.0 (Decentralized Web) Web 3.0 encompasses technologies for decentralized trust and self-sovereign identity.**Core concepts:**- **DIDs**: Self-sovereign identifiers (no central authority required) - **VCs**: Cryptographically verifiable claims - **Selective disclosure**: Privacy-preserving data sharing - **Trustless verification**: Verify without trusting the data provider**EPCIS Connection:** EPCIS 2.0's JSON-LD format and Web URI identifiers align with the semantic web foundation of Web 3.0 technologies. ### Where They Meet![Industry 4.0 and Web 3.0 both converge on EPCIS 2.0](https://openepcis.io/diagrams/vision-where-they-meet-light.svg)![Industry 4.0 and Web 3.0 both converge on EPCIS 2.0](https://openepcis.io/diagrams/vision-where-they-meet-dark.svg)**Practical example:**1. Smart factory: RFID tag on component triggers EPCIS event 2. EPCIS event updates digital twin representation 3. Quality test passes → Verifiable Credential issued 4. Downstream buyer scans QR → sees selective disclosure based on authorization ## UN Transparency Protocol (UNTP) The UN Transparency Protocol is a UN/CEFACT initiative to enable interoperable digital credentials for global trade. ### Background**UN/CEFACT** (United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business) has developed standards for international trade for decades. UNTP is their approach to supply-chain transparency in the digital age. ### UNTP Goals UNTP aims to: - Enable interoperable sustainability credentials across borders - Provide common vocabulary for product footprint data - Support verifiable claims about origin, materials, and environmental impact - Remain technology-neutral while providing clear implementation patterns ### OpenEPCIS Alignment OpenEPCIS aligns with UNTP through semantic property mappings: | **OpenEPCIS Property** | **UNTP Equivalent** | **Description** |
| --- | --- | --- | | `**dpp:carbonFootprintTotal**` | `**untp:carbonFootprint**` | Total emissions (kg CO2e) | | `**dpp:recycledContent**` | `**untp:recycledContent**` | Recycled material fraction | | `**dpp:recyclableContent**` | `**untp:recyclableContent**` | Recyclable fraction | | `**dpp:verifiedRatio**` | `**untp:verifiedRatio**` | Supply chain verification | These mappings use `**owl:equivalentProperty**` declarations, enabling data to flow between systems without loss of semantic meaning. For detailed mapping information, see the [Interoperability Guide](https://openepcis.io/docs/digital-product-passport/interoperability). ## Decentralized Identifiers (DIDs) Decentralized Identifiers represent a fundamental shift in how we think about digital identity. ### The Problem with Centralized Identifiers Traditional identifiers depend on central authorities: - Domain names require DNS registries - Product codes require GS1 membership - User accounts require platform operators This creates: - **Single points of failure** - Registry down = identifiers unusable - **Permission dependencies** - Need approval to create identifiers - **Censorship vectors** - Authorities can revoke identifiers ### DID Structure A DID is a URI that resolves to a **DID Document** containing verification methods and service endpoints:```
did:method:identifier
│   │      │
│   │      └── Unique identifier within the method
│   └── DID method (defines resolution mechanism)
└── DID scheme
```**Example:**```
did:web:example.com:products:12345
``` This DID uses the `**web**` method and resolves to a DID Document hosted at `**example.com**`. ### DIDs in Supply Chains | **Use Case** | **DID Application** |
| --- | --- | | **Organization identity** | `**did:web:company.com**` - Verifiable organization identity | | **Product identity** | Future: DIDs linked to GS1 identifiers for decentralized resolution | | **Credential issuers** | DID identifies who issued a sustainability certification | | **Event attestation** | DID signs EPCIS events for non-repudiation | ### GS1 Digital Link Relationship Currently, GS1 Digital Link provides **resolver-based** resolution:```
https://id.gs1.org/01/09521141012345 → Resolves via GS1 infrastructure
``` DIDs provide **decentralized** resolution:```
did:web:company.com:product:09521141012345 → Resolves via DID Document
```**The convergence:** Organizations can use both approaches. GS1 Digital Link provides immediate compatibility with existing infrastructure, while DIDs enable decentralized verification when needed. ## Verifiable Credentials (VCs) Verifiable Credentials are the trust layer that makes claims about products and organizations cryptographically verifiable. ### The Credential Model VCs follow a three-party model:![Verifiable credential flow from issuer to holder to verifier](https://openepcis.io/diagrams/vision-credential-model-light.svg)![Verifiable credential flow from issuer to holder to verifier](https://openepcis.io/diagrams/vision-credential-model-dark.svg)**Issuer** — creates and cryptographically signs the credential. **Holder** — stores the credential and presents it when needed. **Verifier** — checks the credential's validity and the issuer's authority. ### Why VCs Matter for Supply Chains | **Challenge** | **VC Solution** |
| --- | --- | | **Trust in claims** | Cryptographic proof of who made the claim | | **Certificate fraud** | Cannot forge credentials without issuer's keys | | **Audit trail** | Credentials are timestamped and immutable | | **Portability** | Credentials travel with products across systems | | **Revocation** | Issuers can revoke invalid credentials | ### VC Types in Supply Chains**Conformity Credentials:**- Lab test results - Certification assessments (ISO, organic, fair trade) - Regulatory compliance attestations**Traceability Events:**- EPCIS events signed as VCs - Chain of custody attestations - Transformation records**Digital Product Passports:**- DPP as a comprehensive VC - Contains product identity + sustainability data + supply chain history - Issued by manufacturer, verified by anyone ## Selective Disclosure: The Game Changer Selective disclosure may be the most underestimated capability in this stack. It solves the fundamental tension between transparency and confidentiality. ### The Problem: All-or-Nothing Doesn't Work Traditional data sharing is binary: either you share everything or nothing.**Real business scenarios:**- A consumer wants to know if a product is sustainable; the manufacturer wants to surface the headline claim without naming individual suppliers downstream. - Customs needs to verify origin and certification; the importer wants to keep tier-2 supplier identities and contract details out of the customs payload. - A recycler needs full material composition for safe processing; the brand wants to surface that without disclosing the specific manufacturing recipe or tooling. ### What Selective Disclosure Enables With selective disclosure, the same credential can reveal different information to different requestors: | **Requestor** | **What They Need** | **What They Get** | **What Stays Private** |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | | **Consumer** | Sustainability claim | Overall rating, recyclability symbol | Tier-2 supplier names, internal cost data | | **Competitor** | Compliance check | Basic conformity status | Material sources, manufacturing recipes | | **Customs** | Origin + certification | Country of origin, EUIS reference, certifications | Tier-2 supplier identities, contract details | | **Authorised auditor** | Full compliance evidence | Complete data | — (authorised, no redaction) | | **Recycler** | Material composition | Detailed materials and hazards | Manufacturing process specifics | ### Technical Approaches**BBS+ Signatures:** Prove specific claims from a signed credential without revealing the entire credential. A holder can prove "recycled content > 30%" without revealing the exact percentage.**Zero-Knowledge Proofs:** Prove properties about values without revealing the values themselves. Prove "carbon footprint < 50 kg CO2e" without revealing it's actually 42.5 kg CO2e.**Derived Credentials:** Create limited-scope credentials from full credentials for specific sharing contexts. ### Real-World Implementation![One QR code resolves to role-specific views after an authorisation check](https://openepcis.io/diagrams/vision-real-world-implementation-light.svg)![One QR code resolves to role-specific views after an authorisation check](https://openepcis.io/diagrams/vision-real-world-implementation-dark.svg) ### Why This Is Underestimated Most DPP discussions focus on **what data to share**. Selective disclosure answers the harder question: **how to share different data with different parties from the same source**. This is the missing piece for enterprise adoption. Businesses won't participate in transparency initiatives if it means revealing trade secrets to competitors. Selective disclosure enables: - **Contextual authorization**: Same QR code, different data based on who scans it - **Graduated trust**: More access with stronger credentials - **Compliance without exposure**: Prove compliance without revealing how ## The Digital Twin Continuum "Digital twin" has become a buzzword that obscures more than it illuminates. Let's demystify it. ### What People Mean by "Digital Twin" The term covers a spectrum of concepts: | **Term** | **Data Richness** | **Update Frequency** | **Primary Use** |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | | **Product information** | Basic specs | Static | Marketing, retail | | **Digital Product Passport** | Lifecycle data | Event-driven | Regulatory compliance | | **Digital twin** | Real-time state | Continuous | Operations, simulation | ### DPP Is One Flavor A Digital Product Passport is a **specific regulatory flavor** of digital twin: - Mandated by ESPR (Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation) - Focused on sustainability and circularity data - Accessed via data carriers (QR, NFC, RFID) - Updated at key lifecycle events ### The Spectrum![The spectrum from product datasheet to live digital twin](https://openepcis.io/diagrams/vision-spectrum-light.svg)![The spectrum from product datasheet to live digital twin](https://openepcis.io/diagrams/vision-spectrum-dark.svg) Static → real-time, increasing in data richness and update frequency. ### Why Terminology Matters Different audiences use different terms for overlapping concepts: - **Regulators** talk about Digital Product Passports - **Manufacturers** talk about digital twins - **IT vendors** talk about connected products - **Sustainability teams** talk about product footprints**They're all describing variations of the same infrastructure need:** a digital representation of a physical product that can be accessed, updated, and verified throughout its lifecycle. OpenEPCIS provides the event backbone that works across this entire spectrum. ## EPCIS: The Universal Event Glue EPCIS serves as the universal glue layer that connects all these technologies. ### The Architecture![Physical data carriers feed EPCIS 2.0 events, which feed the application layer](https://openepcis.io/diagrams/vision-architecture-light.svg)![Physical data carriers feed EPCIS 2.0 events, which feed the application layer](https://openepcis.io/diagrams/vision-architecture-dark.svg) ### Why EPCIS Is the Glue | **Aspect** | **Without EPCIS** | **With EPCIS** |
| --- | --- | --- | | RFID data | RFID-specific format | Universal event | | QR scan | QR-specific handler | Same universal event | | IoT sensor | IoT platform silo | Sensor data in event | | Cross-system | Custom integrations | Standard API | | New tech | Rebuild everything | Plug into existing | ### The Five Dimensions EPCIS captures events across five dimensions:**What:** Product identifiers (GTIN, SGTIN, SSCC) **When:** Timestamp with timezone **Where:** Location identifiers (GLN, geo-coordinates) **Why:** Business context (bizStep, disposition) **How:** Sensor data (temperature, humidity, conditions) ### The "How" Dimension (EPCIS 2.0) EPCIS 2.0 added a place for sensor data on each event — temperature, humidity, location, whatever the auto-ID hardware reports. This enables: - Cold-chain monitoring (a sensor reading attached to every receive event). - Environmental-condition tracking across the supply chain. - Battery-free sensor tags that harvest energy from the RFID reader and report on every read. - Quality-assurance data captured at the point of the event rather than reconciled later. ### Real Scenarios | **Scenario** | **Data Carrier** | **EPCIS Event** |
| --- | --- | --- | | RFID at warehouse door | RFID tag | ObjectEvent: bizStep=receiving, readPoint=dock-door-1 | | QR scan by consumer | QR code | Query for product history via EPCIS repository | | NFC tap at store | NFC tag | AssociationEvent: linking product to customer | | IoT temperature alert | BLE sensor | ObjectEvent: sensorElement with temperature deviation | | Future wearable scan | AR glasses | Same EPCIS infrastructure, new carrier | ### The Key Insight > EPCIS doesn't care HOW you identify the product. It cares WHAT happened, WHEN, WHERE, WHY, and under what conditions (HOW). This technology-agnostic design is why EPCIS scales from a barcode-only retailer to an RFID-heavy warehouse to an IoT-enabled smart factory. ## The Complete Stack Here's how all the technologies fit together:![The five-layer DPP stack from access down to physical carriers](https://openepcis.io/diagrams/vision-complete-stack-light.svg)![The five-layer DPP stack from access down to physical carriers](https://openepcis.io/diagrams/vision-complete-stack-dark.svg) ### What This Stack Delivers | **Benefit** | **How the Stack Delivers** |
| --- | --- | | **Interoperability** | GS1 standards + UNTP alignment = global exchange | | **Trust** | VCs carry cryptographic proofs so every claim is independently verifiable | | **Privacy** | Selective disclosure = share only what's needed | | **Future-proof** | New carriers, same event model | | **Enterprise-ready** | Contextual access control for business reality | ## OpenEPCIS Position ### Where OpenEPCIS Fits OpenEPCIS provides the event layer (Layer 3 in the stack above) with a GS1-native architecture: | **Characteristic** | **OpenEPCIS Approach** |
| --- | --- | | **Foundation** | GS1 Web Vocabulary, EPCIS 2.0 standard | | **Identifiers** | GS1 Digital Link — reuses GS1 numbering already issued to members | | **Format** | JSON-LD for semantic interoperability | | **VC / DID** | Ships today via Keycloak's native OID4VCI / OID4VP / SIOPv2 stack. Wallet-agnostic by design — every OID4VC-compliant wallet works as a holder. Named EPCIS / DPP credential schemas and the capture-to-issuance pipeline are the next [roadmap](https://openepcis.io/docs/platform-overview/roadmap) item. | | **UNTP Aligned** | A dozen property and three class equivalences via `**owl:equivalentProperty**` / `**owl:equivalentClass**` | | **Open** | Apache 2.0, no vendor lock-in, self-hostable | ### What OpenEPCIS Provides Today**Core Tools:**- EPCIS repository and API - Format conversion (XML ↔ JSON-LD) - Event hash generator (integrity verification) - Test data generator**DPP Vocabulary:**- Battery DPP (EU Battery Regulation 2023/1542) - Textile DPP (EU Sustainable Textiles Strategy) - EUDR (EU Deforestation Regulation 2023/1115) - Electronics DPP (Repairability, WEEE, energy efficiency) ### Where the stack stands today OpenEPCIS already ships the **identity** layer (GS1 identifiers + Digital Link), the **event** layer (EPCIS 2.0) and the **credential transport** layer (Keycloak OID4VCI / OID4VP / SIOPv2 — every tenant realm is a Verifiable Credential Issuer; every OID4VC-compliant wallet works as a holder; `**sd-jwt-vc**` is the lead format for selective disclosure). The **named-credential** layer — published credential schemas for EPCIS events and DPP attestations, the bridge that mints a VC the moment the underlying capture or save happens, UNTP Digital Conformity Credential compatibility, and a globally-scoped issuer trust list — is the work in flight on the [roadmap](https://openepcis.io/docs/platform-overview/roadmap). The build order is deliberate. Identity and events are nailed down against GS1; the credential transport is open, wallet-agnostic protocol (OID4VC) instead of a proprietary stack; the named-credential layer on top is then a question of schema + pipeline rather than re-architecture. ## Resources ### Standards and Specifications**Core Standards:**- [GS1 EPCIS 2.0 Standard](https://ref.gs1.org/standards/epcis/) - Event model specification - [GS1 Digital Link](https://www.gs1.org/standards/gs1-digital-link) - Product identification and resolution - [W3C Verifiable Credentials Data Model](https://www.w3.org/TR/vc-data-model/) - Credential structure - [W3C Decentralized Identifiers (DIDs)](https://www.w3.org/TR/did-core/) - DID specification**Trade Standards:**- [UN Transparency Protocol (UNTP)](https://opensource.unicc.org/un/unece/uncefact/spec-untp) - UN/CEFACT supply-chain transparency (moved to GitLab; the old GitHub repo is archived) - [ISO/IEC 19987](https://www.iso.org/standard/85557.html) - EPCIS standard (ISO version) - [ISO/IEC 19988](https://www.iso.org/standard/85558.html) - Core Business Vocabulary (ISO version) ### OpenEPCIS Documentation - [EPCIS 2.0 Guide](https://openepcis.io/docs/epcis) - Event model and dimensions - [Digital Product Passport](https://openepcis.io/docs/digital-product-passport) - DPP implementation - [Interoperability Guide](https://openepcis.io/docs/digital-product-passport/interoperability) - UNTP and standards alignment - [DPP Resolution Flow](https://openepcis.io/docs/digital-product-passport/dpp-resolution-flow) - How QR scanning leads to DPP data ### External Resources**Industry Context:**- [MIT Auto-ID Center history](https://www.autoidlabs.org/) - Origins of EPCIS - [GS1 EPCIS resources](https://www.gs1.org/standards/epcis) - Implementation guides - [RFID market analysis](https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/rfid-market-446.html) - Market data**Emerging Technologies:**- [BBS+ Signatures](https://w3c-ccg.github.io/ldp-bbs2020/) - Selective disclosure cryptography - [did:web Method Specification](https://w3c-ccg.github.io/did-method-web/) - Web-based DIDs