Sri Lanka Ports Authority ( SLPA)  declares open a state of the art Mechatronic Laboratory at its Mahapola Training Institute (MPTI) under its Mechatronic/HRIS Projects. The inauguration ceremony was held in the auditorium of the MPTI on the 27th January 2011 with the distinguished patronage of  Dr. Priyath B. Wickrama Chairman of SLPA. Expressing views at the occasion Dr. Priyath B. Wickrama said that  SLPA has taken a number of fruitful efforts to convert  many of the traditional methods practiced through the years into latest and efficient practices that have boosted the efficiency and productivity of the institution at present. "We have been able to obtain  all these all these achievements through many hardships and barriers that stood against the positive implementations we launched to convert this an efficient and profit oriented institution that contribute towards the national development of Sri Lanka", he said. Expressing further Dr.Priyath B. Wickrama said that the prime objective of SLPA is to have an efficient human resource who is capable of  hi-tech knowledge in order to facilitate the customers of SLPA to obtain a better and efficient service. He also said besides computerizing each and every  traditional method practiced, SLPA in future hopes to bring the latest, state of the art and standard computerized methods that are internationally accepted  to express a better, qualitative  and competitive service to its customers. 

Mechatronic is the synergistic combination of Mechanical engineering, Electronic engineering, Computer engineering, Control & System Design engineering in order to design ,manufacture useful products. Mechatronic is a multidisciplinary engineering system design, that is to say it rejects splitting engineering in to separate disciplines. 

According to the definition given at the INF standard it is the approach aiming at the synergistic integration of mechanics, electronics, control theory, and computer science within product design and manufacturing, in order to improve and / or optimize its functionality. 

The courses at the new facility have  been categorized under several  professional education levels and they include Mechatronics  For  Beginners, Pneumatics – Basic Level, PLC Basic Level and Electro- Pneumatics – Basic Level. The Advanced Level Programs will be arranged after completion of   basic levels.

Being South Asia’s most diverse and advanced training facility for Port Operations, Maritime & Seamanship, Technical Information Systems and Management Disciplines since 1986, the Mahapola Training Institute (MPTI) of SLPA  has contributed immensely towards the Technical, Maritime and Seamanship, Safety, Port Operation, Management, Equipment Handling and Information Systems disciplines, among others, by providing the highest caliber trained person who has passed out from its portals. The MPTI has also trained several overseas students.

 The facility is  located in an ideal Marine and Industrial setting for enhancing the quality of its training programmers. 

With the dearth of skilled persons in the Maritime, Seafaring & Port Industries, the MPTI is the ideal springboard for young persons seeking employment in these industries. With its recognition by the world wide shipping industry and UN Agencies as an eminent Training Facility in the South Asian Region, the qualified trainees of MPTI have ready acceptance in the employment market.

MPTI is also  the Pioneer Educational Institution in Sri Lanka that obtained  ISO 9001: 2008 Certification in Maritime Education and Training from 2010.
(CPRD-28012011)