In Ethiopia, Bahir Dar University is the only educational institution offering Textile Engineering, Garment Engineering and Fashion Design at degree level. The Institute has a history of more than 40 years. Earlier the program was only at the advanced diploma level particularly when the department was under former Bahir Dar Polytechnic Institute which was established in 1963 in collaboration with Russian Government.
      The Diploma level programme was then upgraded to B.Sc program in Textile Engineering since 1997 to satisfy the demands of Textile and other related organizations. The first batch graduated in 2002. The syllabus for the program incorporates courses relevant to the modern textile industry. Another B.Sc. programme in Textile Education (Regular & Summer) and also Garment Education (Summer) was started in the year 2003 to fulfil the teacher-requirements of the Technical Schools spread all over Ethiopia. The diploma and degree graduates of the institute occupy almost all the top management positions in the textile factories and related industry and other institutions in Ethiopia.
  The iOTEX is already introduced a postgraduate program (M.Sc in Textile Technology) and undergraduate program (B.Sc. in Garment Engineering) from January 2010 and B.Sc in Fashion Design from September 2010.
Considering the importance of the role of textile, garment and fashion design sector to the economic well-being and industrialization of Ethiopia, the Government of Ethiopia through the University has upgraded the Department of Textile Engineering to the level of the Institute with the name “Institute of Textile and Clothing Technology” from July, 2009. But after a year (June 2010) with the help of ECBP (Engineering Capacity Building Program) currently in operation in Ethiopia in collaboration with the Government of Germany, the institute is renamed as “Institute of Technology for Textile, Garment and Fashion Design (iOTEX)” and functioning separately under Bahir Dar University. This upgrading to institute level considered essential in order to develop the teaching and research infrastructure for the development of the textile, garment and fashion Industry of Ethiopia.
      The Institute of Technology for Textile, garment and Fashion Design (iOTEX) is one of the limbs of the Bahir Dar University whose objectives perfectly fit the strategy of agriculture-led and export-oriented industrialization and the effort to combat the problem of textile & garment manufacturing and trade of the country.
     iOTEX also serves the local community and the industries by providing research and consultancy services related to fashion and textiles. The institute aims to support and develop Ethiopian textile and garment industries, with the aim towards sustainable progress and keen competitiveness in the World market. The vision of iOTEX has been to support and enhance the capability and the competitiveness to Ethiopian textile and garment industries including the small and medium enterprises.