The Environmentalists and Packaging Technologists of Tomorrow

When her students are working on new plastic materials or analysing packaging, Professor Silvia Apprich knows exactly what this means. The professor at FH Campus Wien studied the Bachelor’s degree program in “Sustainable Packaging Technology” herself before taking over as Head of the “Department of Packaging and Resource Management.”  “I wanted to know what the students could expect and familiarize myself more deeply with the topics,” she says. Studying alongside a full-time job and as a mother of three children was very challenging, so she decided not to do her Bachelor’s thesis and, therefore, not to graduate. But at the same time, she was able to familiarize herself with the fascination of the packaging world during her studies. The fact that the degree program is so practice-oriented is a great advantage, says the food and biotechnology graduate.

Commitment to the Environment as Motivation

The Department of Packaging and Resource Management at FH Campus Wien has been offering the Bachelor’s degree program in “Sustainable Packaging Technology” for around ten years. The degree program is designed to be studied alongside working so that students from the European industry can expand their skills without interrupting their careers. “Some companies finance their employees’ studies, others don’t even find out about the program. I advise every student to tell their employer about the program,” says the lecturer. However, it is also possible to study the degree program without a job, and more and more are now doing so. “We are open to everyone. I particularly like that. We also have students who previously studied something completely different at a university and then switched to us because they wanted more practical experience,” says Apprich. One student summarizes it like this: “What’s more important than previous knowledge is an interest in the topics.” Around 80 percent of applicants state that their motivation is that they want to do something for the environment and, therefore, choose a subject that focuses on sustainable products.

This unique course at Austria’s largest university of applied sciences was developed in cooperation with packaging companies and deals with the most important packaging materials paper and cardboard, plastic, metal, and glass. The focus is on filling goods such as food and pharmaceutical products and their interactions with the materials used in packaging. The course covers the entire life cycle of packaging – from development and production to recycling, disposal, marketing and quality management. The focus lies on sustainable product development.

The course thus combines various disciplines such as natural sciences, technology, business administration, and design. In teaching and research, FH Campus Wien also collaborates with the Fraunhofer Institute IVV in Freising, the Vienna University of Technology, and the Austrian Research Institute for Chemistry and Technology, among others. “We recruit experts from our network as lecturers, develop projects, and can present industrial plants as part of excursions,” says Apprich. This gives students the opportunity to make valuable contacts for their future careers while they are still studying.

The young packaging experts also benefit from the FH Campus Wien as a multidisciplinary university. For example, the “Molecular Biotechnology” degree programs conduct research in the field of cell-based test systems. This is where the “Sustainable Packaging Technology” program comes in to test packaging for hormone activity. Students can also experiment and test their own developments in the new packaging laboratory. The program has also invested in a small recycling plant that can assess the recyclability of plastic, paper, and cardboard.

After six semesters, including an internship, and a successful Bachelor’s thesis, the graduates have achieved a Bachelor of Science in Engineering (B. Sc.) degree. According to Apprich, this opens up new opportunities for them in the packaging sector. “Most of them receive a job offer from the respective company during their internship,” says the professor. However, it is also possible to go on to study for a Master’s degree in Packaging Technology and Sustainability at FH Campus Wien – or at another university.

FH Campus Wien will be presenting its degree programs as an exhibitor at FACHPACK 2025 in Nuremberg from 23 to 25 September.

By Anna Ntemiris, Editor