The AMTEX Partnership was formed in response to an invitation by the Department of Energy and its National Laboratories who were seeking collaborative efforts to improve the competitiveness of American industry. The greater U.S. textile industry, comprising fiber production, yarns and fabrics and fabricated products (garments), responded with a proposed initiative to study the technical issues confronting the greater industry and, if found that these could be addressed by the research talents and resources of the DOE National Labs, would thence propose technical areas and projects therein. Approximately 18 months after the DOE invitation was received, actual funding is underway.

The AMTEX Partnership is made possible by the long-range vision and enduring commitment of the leaders of the fibers/textile/fabricated products industry to Research, Education and Technology Transfer through organizations that now comprise the industry side of the Partnership. They are: Textile Research Institute, The Institute of Textile Technology, Cotton Textile Center University Collaboration. Particular note is made of the technical areas that have been defined, originally and as modified recently, and the project or projects which have been defined under those technical areas for initiation in F94-95.