Digital innovation in product safety - a scoping study

The Office for Product Safety & Standards (OPSS) is part of the Department for Business Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS). It was created in January 2018 to deliver consumer protection and to support business confidence, productivity and growth. We regulate a wide range of products with a focus on their safety and integrity. We work with local, national and international regulators, with consumer representatives and with businesses to deliver effective protections and to support compliance. Our mission is to be a trusted product regulator for the UK. This means protecting people and places, enabling business to thrive and empowering consumers to make good choices. We will be a leader of good regulatory practice and a champion of local regulation. Digital technologies such as digital twins are becoming more prevalent and integrated into everyday life. The conventional application of a digital twin is used for high cost, low volume assets such as aircraft engines and submarines, however recently the technology is being developed and integrated into lower cost, high volume assets that fall within the consumer product space. The aim of this research project is to strengthen our knowledge and understanding of digital twins and other relevant digital innovations including how we should position ourselves in order to maximise the benefits and opportunities of this technology, such as enhancing consumer safety and/or reduce regulatory burdens on businesses (e.g. with product testing). The research should also examine commercialisation of this technology in the consumer product sector and forecast the direction it will take over the next few years. The study should identify current trends and the latest developments in digital innovations/twins through conducting a literature review and consulting experts. The review should also cover the associated costs, efficacy, opportunities, barriers and challenges in addition to how the technology is applied to other sectors to explore its transferability to the consumer product sector. The anticipated breadth and wide remit of this study should provide evidence to support conclusions and recommendations related to sectors/areas of interest which may lead to further research being commissioned.

Additional information: This Prior Information Notice is being issued to undertake a pre-market supplier engagement day with regards to the current view of the requirement detailed above. OPSS would like to hear feedback from potential suppliers based on the following: • Confirmation on whether you would be interested in this tender. • Confirmation as to whether you can deliver the services in line with the estimated budget. Where suppliers are not able to deliver the services in line with the estimated budget, please advise what budget you could deliver the services for? • Confirmation as to whether you can deliver the services within the estimated timeframe. • Any other comments from suppliers regarding this work. We would like to invite prospective bidders to attend a pre-market engagement session on 11th November 2022, between 10am to 12pm, via MS Teams. Should you wish to attend, please register your interest using the contact details above.