The Bahir Dar Polytechnic Institute, which has transformed itself into a Technology and Textile Institute, was established in 1963 under technical cooperation between the USSR and the Imperial Government of Ethiopia. The institute was a premier institute in producing technicians for the nation. The institute started its first training program in Textile Technology in collaboration with the Russian Government at the advanced diploma level under Bahir Dar Polytechnic Institute, which eventually grew into Bahir Dar University in 2000. For about 33 years the training program was at the level of Advance Diploma in Textile Technology. Shortly afterward, the Advanced Diploma program was upgraded to B.Sc. program in Textile Engineering in 1997.

Historical Connection

Considering the importance of the textile, garment, and fashion sectors to the economic well-being and industrialization of Ethiopia, the Government of Ethiopia has upgraded the Department of Textile Engineering to the Institute level with the name "Institute of Textile and Clothing Technology" from July 2009. Later in 2010, the Engineering Capacity Building Program (ECBP) started operating in Ethiopia with the collaboration of the German government and the institute was renamed "The Institute of Technology for Textile, Garment, and Fashion Design (IoTEX)" and functioning separately under Bahir Dar University. Shortly afterward, as of March 2014, it was renamed as "Ethiopian Institute of Textile and Fashion Technology (EiTEX).

Currently, under EiTEX, there are 11 BSc (6 regular, 1 extension, and 2 summers) programs, 9MSc (regular), and 9 PhD programs. Our regular BSc programs are Textile Engineering, Textile Chemical Process Engineering, Fashion Engineering, Leather Product Engineering, Textile and Apparel Merchandising, Fashion Design, Visual Art, and Textile Design, whereas, MSc programs in the institute areTextile Manufacturing, Textile Chemistry, Textile Technology, Fiber Science & Technology, Fashion Technology, Fashion Design, Fashion Technology, Leather Technology, and Leather Product Design and Engineering.

 In addition, the institute offers PhD programs in Textile Science and Technology, with specializations in Fiber and Polymer Science, Smart and Functional Textiles, Textile Chemical Processing, Textile Design and Manufacturing, Textile Materials Science and Engineering, and Textile Technology (by Research). It also offers PhD programs in Fashion Technology and Leather Engineering, with specializations in Leather Technology and Footwear Design and Engineering.

Alongside teaching and learning, EiTEX has been nurturing the research culture among its academia since its establishment. The research capacity and culture are growing overtime where the staff in EiTEX have initiated several research projects over the last two decades and were supported by University research fund. Various initiatives have also been undertaken at different times to promote the research activities of EiTEX. Lately, funds to the research activities have been improved thereby finding external funds such as the COE project supported by KFW and other funds. To excel in problem-solving research, the institute established five Research Centres (RC) namely Textile Science and Engineering Research Center, Biorefinery Research Center (BRRC), Indigenous Textile Research Center, Sustainable Fashion and Product Design Research Center, and Sustainable Leather and Leather Product Research Center.

The aforementioned research and innovation centers are established to handle the research activities of the institute. In addition, five multidisciplinary research units have been established. Each RIC is comprised of a team of people that promote collaboration and use best practices around a specific focus area to drive the best teaching and learning process supported by a strong research background. Moreover, the institute also organizes an international conference annually on the theme “cotton, textile, and apparel value chain in Africa” that is used as a platform for knowledge and technology transfer and networking with nationals and international partners of the institute. The institute administers two journals, the Ethiopian Journal of Textile and Apparel (EJTA) and the Ethiopian e-Journal for Research and Foresight (Ee-JRIF) to disseminate outputs to the scientific community. 

In general, the institute has spent resources to build huge human and physical infrastructure that will have a significant contribution to quality Education, problem-solving research, and outreach activities for the development of the textile and leather sub-sector and the national economy.

The institute also aims to support and develop Ethiopian textile and garment industries, with the aim towards sustainable progress and keen competitiveness in the World market. Furthermore, the institute regularly organizes international conferences in the cotton, textile, apparel, and leather sectors. Generally, the vision of EiTEX has been to support and enhance the capability and competitiveness to Ethiopian textile and garment industries including the small and medium enterprises.