Collaborative innovation and design platforms THEME 2 Evolutions of themes Enable suppliers and OEMs to co-develop materials, tooling and process innovations through shared design spaces and virtual testbeds. Co-development cycle time Engineering rework Early co-development environments — OEMs and strategic suppliers collaborate using shared simulation models and controlled IP environments. — Innovation cycles improve, but validation remains sequential and limited to a small set of partners.Networked virtual testbeds and continuous co-development — Digital twins and virtual testbeds enable rapid experimentation with materials, tooling and processes across suppliers. — Co-development becomes continuous, with partners validating design and manufacturing changes in shared virtual environments.Autonomous co-innovation ecosystems — Agentic systems autonomously exchange insights, validate new ideas and coordinate R&D activities across OEMs, suppliers and startups. — Innovation becomes distributed and adaptive, with federated platforms shortening development cycles and increasing innovation yield.NOW (0-2 years) NEAR (3-5 years) NEXT (5+ years) Objectives Unlocking circular fashion: digital product passportSUPPLIER COLLABORATION | CASE STUDY Kappahl and Marimekko Challenge Solution Impact Kappahl and Marimekko, Nordic fashion retailers with over 500 stores combined, took part in the first end-to-end textile digital product passport (DPP) pilot to prepare for upcoming European sustainability regulations. DPPs make product information transparent across origin, materials and lifecycle, to support circular business models. Acting early allowed both brands to move from theoretical planning to tangible implementation.Working with TrusTrace and the Trace4Value consortium, the brands embedded GS1 digital link-compliant QR codes into over 3,000 garments, connecting each item to a secure digital record. As an existing TrusTrace user, one brand already had traceability up to Tier 3 suppliers, making collection significantly quicker than for a first-time setup. Implementation required coordination with label manufacturers and garment production factories to integrate serialized codes into production lines, enabling lifecycle transparency and future accessibility by recyclers and repairers.The initiative deployed live, scannable DPPs across European retail and established a 125-datapoint protocol across nine categories, the most comprehensive textile-specific DPP protocol to date. Beyond the technical work, senior decision-makers became more engaged once products could be physically scanned, helping identify new opportunities for customer engagement and product storytelling.SUPPLIER COLLABORATION Intelligent Industrial Operations Outlook 2026 48