With 2025 already off with a bang, some industry players are joining forces to prepare for what’s to come.
Retraced, a digital platform for supply chain transparency and compliance, has entered a strategic partnership with supply chain technologies supplier R-pac. By merging the former’s deep-supply-chain data with the latter’s RFID-tagging prowess, the collaboration hopes to provide brands with an end-to-end solution for regulatory compliance as new legislation looms ahead.
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“This partnership is about more than technology—it’s about creating trust and delivering value across the supply chain,” Lukas Pünder, CEO and co-founder of Retraced, said in a statement. “Together with R-pac, we’re addressing the fashion industry’s need for transparency from raw materials to finished products.”
The partnership sees the German blockchain startup share its deep supply chain data with R-pac. In turn, the branded packaging provider—known for its ability to “uniquely identify and track individual products,” per the statement—will extrapolate relevant tidbits from that data for brands. Brands, then, can explore any relevant requirements, posed by the likes of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) and France’s anti-waste law (AGEC), and confirm their compliance.
“Our collaboration with Retraced allows us to bring unparalleled value through visibility to brands,” Dick Lockard, R-pac’s global vice president of connected merchandise solutions, said in a statement. “By integrating materials traceability and production data with our ability to track each product uniquely, throughout the supply, and beyond, we are helping brands accelerate regulatory readiness and offer consumers transparency and authenticity like never before.
By merging R-pac’s traceability solutions with Retraced’s transparency data, the collaboration helps brands not only avoid regulatory roadblocks and validate supply chain processes but also fulfill sustainability needs, such as those set by the European Union’s upcoming digital product passport (DPP) mandate. Connecting end-to-end product lifecycle data with unique digital identities creates “value through visibility,” the partners said, by streamlining compliance, reducing operational inefficiencies and “fostering transparency.”
“This collaboration is a win for all stakeholders,” Pünder said. “For suppliers, it streamlines data sharing and builds trust through transparency. For brands, it delivers better supply chain control and compliance. For consumers, it ensures product authenticity and sustainability at the individual item level.”