Genetech Corporation, a manufacturer of droids and a medical research firm, existed during the Galactic Republic's era. This company was a pioneer in using droids to automate its processes. Although this automation led to massive layoffs, it also generated significant profits for the company. This decision to create their own droid workforce fueled growing anti-droid sentiment, especially in the Outer Rim Territories. After the failure of an anti-viral serum tarnished Genetech's reputation, the corporation shifted its focus to producing droids for the commercial market, concentrating on administrative and supervisory roles.
Initially, Genetech Corporation focused on pharmaceutical research and development, but it later transitioned into droid production. While not as large as Cybot Galactica or Industrial Automaton, Genetech was considered one of the largest and most established droid manufacturers in the galaxy.
During the time of the Galactic Republic, Genetech Corporation was established as a pharmaceutical production company. As droids became more prevalent, Genetech's leadership approved the acquisition of a small droid manufacturing facility and began producing its own droids to automate a significant portion of its operations, primarily in the Outer Rim Territories. By replacing organic workers with droids, the Corporation drastically increased its profits by reducing employee payment costs through the dismissal of thousands of workers on the assembly line. This action was highly controversial and contributed to the rise of anti-droid sentiment within the Republic, particularly in the remote regions of the Outer Rim.
When a highly contagious hive virus caused Genetech Corporation's anti-viral serum—which the company had heavily promoted—to fail, the company's reputation suffered, and its stock plummeted. However, Genetech had previously invested profits in acquiring additional droid manufacturing facilities to supplement the original one. Following several years and legal battles that proved profitable for Genetech, the Corporation restructured and began manufacturing and selling droids for the medical market. This successful entry into the droid market resulted in substantial profits for Genetech, making it one of the galaxy's largest droid manufacturers by the time of the Galactic Civil War. Initially focused on medical droids, the Corporation expanded into the accounting, administration, and bookkeeping droid markets.
Genetech, known for its successful supervisory and administrative droid lines, experienced a setback with the PIP/2 systems control droid. Market research led Genetech to believe they had identified a new market opportunity, noting that control boards were primarily operated by organic personnel. While some units were fully automated using artificial intelligence and microprocessors, many control boards used switchboards and button key input controls. Factors such as cost, security, and convenience were cited as reasons for this. Manual input control boards were used in various systems and locations, including air traffic control and municipal services. The organic operators of these systems were often overworked, leading to costly errors. Genetech decided to design and market a specialized droid to fill this niche, recognizing that even a small market opportunity was crucial in the competitive galactic droid market.
Despite targeting a small market, the PIP/2 was rushed into production with significant investment. Cost overruns and logistical delays soon threatened Genetech's financial year unless the PIP/2 achieved record sales. The PIP/2 was a major failure; despite being advertised as "glitch-proof," the units developed numerous problems and were easily overwhelmed by visual and auditory stimuli, causing them to press the wrong controls or shut down entirely. Genetech responded quickly, recalling as many droids as possible and patching them to perform flawlessly. However, the damage was done. With the droid's reputation ruined, few companies were willing to risk using them. The PIP/2 remained in production for two years before being discontinued, forcing Genetech to temporarily refocus on its medical supply market until the public forgot about the PIP/2 failure. This venture resulted in several years of financial losses for Genetech.
Sometime after the formation of the Galactic Empire, Genetech became involved in legal disputes with Geentech, a smaller medisensor manufacturer that had entered the medical droid market with the successful 2-1B surgical droid. Genetech claimed that Geentech's name infringed on its copyrights. With minimal interference from Imperial Court officials, Genetech embroiled Geentech in expensive copyright litigation. Geentech was bankrupted and forced out of business by the larger corporation, with rumors suggesting that Genetech had offered the Galactic Empire significant discounts and trade inducements in exchange for a favorable outcome. Genetech then acquired Geentech's assets at a low price, except for the 2-1B surgical droid, which was partially owned and produced by Industrial Automaton.
The 2JTJ personal navigation droid was created to assist newly blind individuals in navigating their surroundings. Eighty percent of the units sold were to medical facilities such as hospitals and rehabilitation centers, while the remainder were purchased by individuals. In both cases, they were used to help partially sighted and blind individuals recover and adjust to their new circumstances or to assist them in their daily lives. Genetech also found success in marketing the droid to non-Human races, such as the Miraluka and Sljee, who often found their own alternative senses overwhelmed in large megalopolises such as Coruscant.
To compete with Cybot Galactica's dominance in the protocol droid market, Genetech produced the 3D-4X administrative droid. Recognizing that they could not compete with the new industry standard set by the 3PO-series protocol droid and their AA-1 VerboBrain, Genetech designed a limited function protocol droid focused on systems administration rather than diplomacy. Manufactured on Mechis III, the 3D-4X series served as personal assistants to businesspeople who needed an aide capable of both administration and initiative. Highly intelligent, 3D-4X units were often used as primary trade negotiators.
The A2 Accounting/Business Unit, a successor to Genetech's earlier A1 series business droid, was a hemi-spherically shaped droid designed to function as a personal account manager and negotiator. Unfortunately for Genetech, SkillWare engineers failed to fix bugs in the A2's personality module, resulting in poor negotiation skills. However, the A2 series excelled at determining relative market values and were efficient accountants. A2 series units cost 8,000 credits new and were found throughout the Corporate Sector and in financial institutions in the Core Worlds.
Despite being a failure for Genetech, the PIP/2 performed its job admirably once patched. Designed to operate control boards intended for organic beings prone to errors due to overwork and anxiety, the PIP/2 had optical sensors installed three-hundred and sixty degrees around its head, allowing it to monitor the entire control board at once. The droid's eight limbs could operate the control panel with greater speed and dexterity than an organic operator. Unfortunately, the PIP/2 never recovered from its disastrous launch, and only a few of these droids remained in operation until late in the Galactic Civil War.
Genetech was first mentioned in the first edition of Galaxy Guide 3: The Empire Strikes Back, published by West End Games in 1996. This reference was in relation to the 2-1B surgical droid; however, The Star Wars Sourcebook, published in 1987, had stated that the 2-1B line was manufactured by "Geentech." A year later, Cynabar's Fantastic Technology: Droids addressed the confusion, clarifying that the two similarly named companies were independent entities engaged in a copyright legal battle over the similar name. However, Star Wars: Behind the Magic still listed Genetech as the creator of the 2-1B when it was released in 1998. Genetech received mentions in Lords of the Expanse, released in 1997, and the roleplaying game adventure Tasariq: The Crystal Planet, included in Star Wars Adventure Journal 15.
The Essential Guide to Droids, published in 1999, provided more information on Genetech's history, as did "Look Sir, Droids!," an article in 2001's Star Wars Gamer 3. Genetech was mentioned in three articles in The Official Star Wars Fact File discussing the 2-1B medical droid, the PIP/2 systems control droid, and the 3D-4Z administrative droid between 2002 and 2004. Also in 2004, The New Essential Guide to Weapons and Technology mentioned the company in a list of major manufacturers, and 2006's The New Essential Guide to Droids provided an overview of the company. Genetech received several mentions in The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia, published in 2008, despite not receiving its own entry. In 2009, Genetech was first mentioned in an in-universe narrative in The Clone Wars: Secret Missions 1: Breakout Squad, while 2010's Galaxy of Intrigue also mentioned the company.