The Textile ETP was created in 2004 to bridge the gap between research and innovation needs of the European textile industry and the scientific capacities of universities and research organizations. Its establishment was part of a broader European Commission initiative to create industry-specific platforms for guiding research and innovation support programs. The four full members of the Textile ETP are:

• EURATEX (the European Apparel and Textile Confederation)
• TEXTRANET (The European Network of Textile Research Organizations)
• EU-TEXTILE 2030 (European Economic Interest Group resulting from the COSME funded project EU-TEXTILE2030 project)
• NETFAS (Network of European Textile and Fashion Universities of Applied Sciences)

Among the associated and networking members of the Textile ETP are (as of March 2025) 59 associations, 61 organisations from industry and 75 organisations from research & development.

Textile ETP develops strategic roadmaps and opinion papers, with the latest Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda published in July 2024. As Europe's largest textile research network, it fosters collaboration through conferences, workshops, and webinars. Textile ETP is active in advocacy regarding EU policies, facilitates funding access through its TEPPIES program, and participates in EU projects. Textile ETP manages from the private side the recent co-programmed "Textiles of the Future" European Partnership adopted by the European Commission under the Horizon Europe  programme.. Dedicated calls for proposals on R&I in textiles will be launched under the Textiles Partnership for the period 2025-2027.