Beaulieu Partners with Digimarc for Digital Product Passports for Flooring

Waregem, Belgium, August 6, 2025-Beaulieu International Group (BIG) and Digimarc Corporation, a pioneer in digital watermarking technologies, have successfully demonstrated that invisible digital watermarks are a highly effective solution for delivering CPR-mandated construction Digital Product Passports (DPP) to the flooring industry while uniquely meeting its complex needs.

“Facilitating the circular economy through DPP compliance is a top priority for Beaulieu, because eventually, all flooring products will be removed and replaced,” said Nele Cattoor, B.I.G.’s Regulatory Compliance Lead. “The challenge was to find a data carrier that not only functions while the flooring is in place, but also survives the damage that inevitably occurs during removal. This data carrier must therefore be imperceptible to the human eye-something that could be integrated directly onto the surface of our flooring solutions-without affecting the design, appearance, or thickness. It must also be pervasive and durable enough to remain detectable even on small, cut, or damaged pieces of material.”

Traditional technologies, such as QR codes, NFC, and RFID cannot meet these requirements. “You could potentially be technically DPP-compliant by printing QR codes on the backs of glue-down flooring, but once the flooring is installed, those codes can no longer be read, nor are they likely to survive the removal process and therefore be accessible to recycling facilities,” explained Dorine Degryse, sustainability coordinator CV at B.I.G. “

Digimarc’s invisible, thumbnail-sized digital watermarks cover the entire surface of the product in a redundant pattern, making them robust, long-lasting, and detectable even after substantial wear and tear. Each watermark carries a unique digital ID linked to product-specific data hosted on Digimarc’s Illuminate SaaS platform, enabling a seamless DPP experience via mobile or web applications. Requiring no special ink or printing process, the solution is highly scalable and cost-effective compared to many traditional alternatives. Most importantly, due to their covert nature and robustness, Digimarc digital watermarks can support the entire life cycle of flooring, from installation all the way to recycling.

B.I.G. partnered with Digimarc to validate the technology’s performance in real-world flooring scenarios. Together, the teams enhanced six B.I.G. artworks with digital watermarks, created corresponding DPP profiles within Digimarc’s beta DPP module, and successfully scanned the products to simulate field use.