Background
The SIES School of Packaging and Packaging Technology Centre (SOP/PTC) was set up in 2001 with an aim to provide a host of services to the packaging industry including training, education, testing, quality control, performance evaluation, packaging audit, design and development, information and data dissemination, publication and promotional Activities all related to the field of packaging. Development of packaging professionals is a key activity. The centre has established exhaustive infrastructural activities and laboratories to meet the above requirement.

Testing prowess
The laboratory covers physical, mechanical, chemical, microbiological, physico-chemical, R&D and transportworthiness evaluation of a package. The idea is to help the industry improve, optimise and standardise their packaging systems and skill development among the students and industry personnel in the field of testing, quality control and package design and development. We can conduct more than 250 tests on packaging materials and packages. On an average over 100 industrial units use our facilities, every month.

Focus on academics
We offer various packaging courses – two-year postgraduate diploma and one-year graduate diploma programme, short-term programmes of two to five days is a regular feature with emphasis on specific areas like processed food packaging, pharma products packaging, flexible packaging, testing and QC. Such programmes are primarily oriented towards updation of knowledge and skill. The two-year postgraduate course has one entire semester as an internship for a period of six months. This provides the opportunity to understand the industry, industry situation, industry working and job responsibilities. This is created as the bridge between academics and industry. The facilities available at the SIES SOP/PTC are extensively used by the student groups for their packaging prototype developments. This endeavour also creates a useful link with the industry providing employment opportunities. We are in dialogue with other skill development centres to set up and create opportunities in shopfloor operations – a skill area largely not available and in demand.

Star Awards
We have also introduced the SIES SOP Star Awards for excellence in Innovation/ Creativity and Developments. The SIES SOP/PTC also hosts an exhibition cum display centre that showcases the latest in materials, forms, machinery, package-process-print-graphic technologies, and provide the latest in these. The efforts are also supported by a well-maintained information and library.