History - Establishment
The Technological Educational Institute of Patra was first established in 1970 as a Centre of Professional Technological Education (K.A.T.E.). Since 1983, all the Technological Educational Institutions were established as part of the Higher education system. The T.E.I.s are legal entities and are subject to federal law and under the supervision of the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs. They are self-managed according to their internal regulations.

Targets - Aims
Today the T.E.I. of Patra belongs to the higher education system, which comprises two parallel sectors:
a) The university sector, which contains the universities, the Polytechnics, and the School of Arts at university level and
b) The technological sector, which contains the Technological Educational Institutes.
The institutes of the two sectors of the higher education system operate comprehensively with differing roles, target and mission according to the regulations that govern the university sector and
the technological sector.
The institutes of the technological sector give emphasis on the training of staff in high quality applications which in combination with theoretical and applied scientific proficiency:
a) Constitute the link between knowledge and application, developing the applied dimension of sciences and arts in corresponding professional fields.
b) Transmit, utilize and promote contemporary technology, as well as, methods, practices and techniques in the field of applications.
In this framework, the institutes of the technological sector combine the development of an appropriate theoretical setting for studies with a high level of laboratory and practical training, while they conduct technological research and develop technological know how and innovations in the corresponding professional fields.

The T.E.I. has eleven (11) departments that belong to the three (3) Schools. Since the academic year 2003 - 2004 four (4) new independent departments belonging to the T.E.I. of Patra were established outside its campus. The degree awarded by the departments is the undergraduate degree that allows students entrance to postgraduate study programs in Greek and foreign universities. There are postgraduate study programs that are run at the T.E.I. These programs are co-organized with Universities from both the domestic and the international environment, with the degrees being awarded by the Universities.