Beaulieu International Group (B.I.G.), a global leader in sustainable material and flooring solutions, and Digimarc Corporation (NASDAQ: DMRC), a pioneer in digital watermarking technology, have announced a breakthrough in Digital Product Passport (DPP) implementation for the construction and flooring industries.
The two companies successfully demonstrated that invisible digital watermarks offer a highly scalable, durable, and effective solution for meeting DPP requirements mandated by the EU’s Construction Products Regulation (CPR)—while overcoming the limitations of traditional data carriers such as QR codes, NFC tags, and RFID chips.
“Facilitating the circular economy through DPP compliance is a top priority for Beaulieu,” said Nele Cattoor, Regulatory Compliance Lead at B.I.G. “The key challenge was finding a data carrier that survives both installation and removal, remains invisible, and integrates seamlessly into the flooring without compromising design or performance.”
Invisible Watermarks Built to Last
Digimarc’s covert, thumbnail-sized digital watermarks are applied in a redundant pattern across the entire surface of the flooring. They are imperceptible to the human eye, highly durable, and easily scannable even after wear, cutting, or damage. Each watermark is linked to a unique digital ID, granting access to critical product data hosted on Digimarc’s Illuminate SaaS platform—enabling real-time DPP access via mobile or web apps.
The solution eliminates the shortcomings of QR codes and other visible identifiers that become unreadable post-installation. “As a company committed to sustainable living, we knew we needed something better,” said Dorine Degryse, Sustainability Coordinator CV at B.I.G. “Digimarc’s technology gave us that—and more.”
Real-World Validation and Industry Adoption
To test the technology in field conditions, B.I.G. and Digimarc embedded digital watermarks into six flooring artworks, created corresponding DPP profiles, and conducted successful scans to simulate real-life use cases. The initiative gained traction during key industry events, including Flanders Flooring Days (June 2025) and the VinylPlus® DPP event (January 2025).
“Seeing invisible access to sustainability and compliance data in action was eye-opening for many,” said Lara Misseeuw, Innovation Project Manager at B.I.G. “It demonstrated the power and practicality of digital watermarking as a next-generation data carrier.”
The solution has also been presented to CEN/TC 134 WG 10, AHG Tagging, the European technical group working on harmonizing tagging standards across construction materials.
Beyond Flooring: A Future-Ready Technology
According to Riley McCormack, President and CEO of Digimarc, the potential for digital watermarking goes well beyond flooring: “This technology can be applied using varnishes, etchings, molds, or inks, making it compatible with a wide range of construction materials—from tiles and panels to pipes.”
He added: “Our ambition is to establish digital watermarks as the industry standard for product identification and traceability under DPP regulations. Partnering with B.I.G. has been instrumental in showcasing how this can work at scale.”
Next Steps
Both companies plan to continue their collaboration with the VinylPlus consortium and other stakeholders to push for digital watermarks as the preferred DPP data carrier for the entire construction sector.
With the flooring industry under increasing regulatory pressure to embrace circularity and traceability, the B.I.G.–Digimarc partnership represents a significant technological leap forward, blending invisible intelligence with visible impact for a more sustainable built environment.
