The Italian Technology Award program includes the Italian Packaging Technology Award (IPTA), specific to the packaging technology sector. The IPTA program asks students to write an analysis of innovations in packaging technologies for a chance to win a trip to Italy to visit leading packaging machinery manufacturers. Italy is one of the world’s main suppliers of machinery and materials for the packaging sector. The IPTA program is coordinated and organized by the Italian Trade Agency’s Chicago Office, and co-sponsored in Italy by UCIMA (Italian Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Association, www.ucima.it) along with major academic institutions in the United States recognized for their contributions to the advancement of packaging engineering. The program provides students with an opportunity to learn how packaging machinery is crafted, and broadens their awareness of this important industry. Visits to major Italian companies operating in the industry help students, professors, and business leaders engage in discussions on current challenges and opportunities within the packaging sector. IPTA student winners usually spend a week or more in Italy visiting leading packaging machinery manufacturers. Professors from participating universities accompany the students, providing them with valuable opportunities to discover new packaging technologies and enhance their packaging programs by sharing their experiences with other students.