The Asset Administration Shell (AAS) is a standard way to describe an asset digitally. The asset can be a machine, a component, a battery or a finished product. Its shell holds everything known about it, from the nameplate and technical data to manuals, certificates and carbon footprint, in a structure that any AAS-compatible software can read.
The concept came out of Germany's Industrie 4.0 program and is now an international standard, IEC 63278-1, published in December 2023. The Industrial Digital Twin Association (IDTA) maintains the detailed specifications and the library of submodel templates. Because it already carries product data between manufacturers and their customers, the AAS has become one of the main formats for the Digital Product Passport.
How the Asset Administration Shell works
An AAS has three layers:
- The shell. It identifies the asset with a globally unique ID and points to the submodels that describe it.
- Submodels. Each submodel covers one aspect of the asset, such as the Digital Nameplate, Technical Data, Handover Documentation or Carbon Footprint. IDTA publishes templates for each, so every company fills in the same fields the same way.
- Semantic identifiers. Every data element points to a shared definition, for example from ECLASS or IEC Common Data Dictionary, so software knows that "rated capacity" means the same thing everywhere.
A shell can be exchanged in three ways: as an AASX package file that bundles the shell, submodels and attached documents; as a JSON or XML serialization; or live through the standardized AAS REST API, where partners query only the data they need.
How AAS is used for Digital Product Passports
The AAS is not a passport by itself. IDTA's specification describes how to derive a passport from a shell: the shell needs the submodels that cover the data points the regulation requires, plus a passport metadata submodel. The result can then be served behind the unique product identifier and the QR code on the product.
The most developed example is the battery passport. In February 2026, IDTA released the Digital Battery Passport series (IDTA 02035), produced jointly with Catena-X and the Battery Pass consortium. Its seven submodel templates cover:
- Digital Nameplate
- Handover Documentation
- Product Carbon Footprint
- Technical Data
- Product Condition
- Material Composition
- Circularity
The templates follow the data attributes in DIN DKE SPEC 99100, the German specification for battery passport content.
How AAS fits with other passport standards
The EU does not require a single data format for passports. The CEN-CENELEC DPP standards, starting with EN 18216, set rules for identifiers, data carriers, APIs and interoperability, and leave room for several data models to meet them. In practice, AAS is common in industrial and B2B supply chains, especially machinery, automotive and electronics. The UN Transparency Protocol is often used for supply-chain credentials such as conformity and traceability claims. Many brands publish the same passport in more than one format so each partner can read it in the tool they already use.
What it means for your products
- Industrial customers may ask for AAS. Machine builders, automotive suppliers and distributors in the Catena-X ecosystem often expect product data as an AASX file or through an AAS API.
- Battery makers get a ready model. The IDTA 02035 templates map the Battery Regulation's passport data into AAS, so an export in this format can be loaded directly by partners.
- One data set, many outputs. Keep your product data in one place and generate AAS, JSON-LD or other formats from it, instead of maintaining separate copies.
How to prepare
- Ask your largest B2B customers which passport and digital twin formats they read today.
- Check which IDTA submodel templates match your product data, starting with Digital Nameplate and Technical Data.
- Map your fields to the semantic identifiers the templates use, so the data stays consistent across formats.
- Make sure attached documents, such as declarations of conformity and manuals, are stored with the product so they can travel inside an AASX package.
How Veribl helps
Veribl publishes every passport as an Asset Administration Shell, available as a file, an AASX package and through an API, alongside JSON-LD and UN Transparency Protocol credentials. Battery passports can also be exported in the IDTA Digital Battery Passport templates, so industrial customers and partners can load them straight into their own AAS tools.
See passport formats in VeriblOfficial sources
Frequently asked questions
Is an Asset Administration Shell the same as a Digital Product Passport?
No. The AAS is a general digital twin format for any asset. A Digital Product Passport can be built from an AAS when the shell contains the submodels that hold the data points the regulation requires, plus passport metadata. IDTA publishes a recommended approach for deriving a DPP from an AAS.
What is an AASX file?
AASX is the package file format for an Asset Administration Shell. It bundles the shell, its submodels and any attached documents, such as manuals or certificates, into one file that can be exchanged between companies and opened in AAS tools.
What is a submodel in the Asset Administration Shell?
A submodel is a standardized block of data about one aspect of an asset, such as its nameplate, technical data, documentation or carbon footprint. IDTA publishes submodel templates so that every company describes the same aspect in the same structure with the same semantic identifiers.
Is there an AAS template for the EU battery passport?
Yes. IDTA published the Digital Battery Passport series (IDTA 02035) in 2026, developed jointly with Catena-X and the Battery Pass consortium. Its seven parts cover the digital nameplate, handover documentation, product carbon footprint, technical data, product condition, material composition and circularity, aligned with DIN DKE SPEC 99100.
Do I have to use the Asset Administration Shell for my DPP?
No. EU law does not prescribe a specific data format. Passports have to meet the requirements of ESPR or the Battery Regulation and the harmonized standards, which focus on open, interoperable data. AAS is one widely used option, especially in industrial supply chains in Germany and across machinery, electronics and automotive.
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