A megacorporation of various technology firms spread throughout the galaxy, the Techno Union was a powerful entity. Wat Tambor, its Foreman, allied the Techno Union with Count Dooku and the Confederacy of Independent Systems, giving it a significant role in the Separatist Crisis. The Techno Union, despite having a seat on the Separatist Council and committing their Droid Army to the Confederacy military during the Clone Wars, maintained a position of neutrality during the conflict, with many of its subsidiary companies producing starships and weapons for the Galactic Republic.
Following the end of the war, the Galactic Empire, the Republic's successor, absorbed the Techno Union, and its refineries were subsequently granted to the Mining Guild.
Over time, the Techno Union evolved into a formidable megacorporation. The Techno Union gained ownership of Mustafar, the lava planet, more than three centuries before the Clone Wars concluded, and they then imposed rent on the native Mustafarians. The Mustafarians were compelled to mine mineral allotropes for the Union to pay this rent, utilizing tools and technology, including droids, provided by the Techno Union.
By the close of the Republic Era, Skakoan industrialists had taken command of the conglomerate, largely through strategic investments and astute maneuvering. They assumed numerous key positions and even moved the headquarters to Skako Minor, requiring outsiders to adjust to their specific environmental demands. At some point, the Union also obtained representation in the Galactic Senate. Gume Saam became their senator sometime prior to the Clone Wars.
A batch of the Techno Union's battle droids was stolen by Chagrian smugglers two years before the staged kidnapping of Jedi Grand Master Yoda. After the Jedi recovered the batch, the Union requested their return from the Jedi High Council, but the conglomerate was informed that the droids were now the property of the Galactic Republic. After Yoda, Jedi Master Mace Windu, and Jedi Master Bant Eerin utilized the droids in the staged kidnapping, Padawan Anakin Skywalker observed a unit's signal confirmation module and deduced that the Union was the manufacturer. Consequently, Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi suggested a meeting with Saam to obtain answers.
When Windu recalled that the senator was not on good terms with the Jedi Order, Kenobi proposed heading to the Union headquarters on Skako Minor instead. However, Skywalker realized there was a non-Union symbol between the battle droid's photoreceptors, meaning another faction could have been behind the attack. Skywalker offered to fly Kenobi to Skako Minor himself if the symbol proved to be meaningless, though they soon found it was the logo of the Nova Crime Syndicate. This led the two Jedi to the Wheel space station and then Glee Anselm, where they learned the "kidnapping" had been a test for them both.
The Techno Union was one of several corporate giants that secretly sided with Dooku, the Count of Serenno and a charismatic former Jedi, prior to his establishment of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. While joining the Count involved certain risks, it provided the Union with unique advantages, most notably a position on the Separatist Council.
By 22 BBY, tensions throughout the galaxy had reached a critical level. Wat Tambor, the Foreman leading the Techno Union, pledged the conglomerate's droid army to the Separatist Alliance during a meeting with Dooku on Geonosis. Shortly thereafter, the First Battle of Geonosis marked the beginning of the Clone Wars.
The Techno Union, in spite of their actions on Geonosis, asserted neutrality during the Clone Wars by continuing to conduct business with the Republic. For instance, Kuat Drive Yards, BlasTech Industries, and Republic Sienar Systems, all subsidiaries of the Techno Union, were essential to the Republic's war efforts. This provided the Union with a degree of plausible deniability, even as they armed the Separatists. The Union also maintained its representation in the Galactic Senate through Senator Saam. In reality, the Techno Union was committed to prolonging the war to maximize profits; as a result, the Union's "neutral" business dealings actually favored the Separatists. To illustrate, for each warship produced for the Republic, Union subsidiaries manufactured a million battle droids.
Saam aided InterGalactic Banking Clan Senator Nix Card and Trade Federation representative Lott Dod in monitoring the situation for Count Dooku, ensuring that the plans of his master, Darth Sidious, the Dark Lord of the Sith, remained on track. Saam advocated for an escalation of the war, intending to increase demand for the Union's products from the Grand Army of the Republic.
The Techno Union's backing of the Confederacy was evident during the Battle of Anaxes, where it successfully deployed a Republic strategy algorithm (captured with presumed-dead ARC trooper Echo). By this point, the Union possessed at least one Decimator. During the Republic mission to rescue Echo, Wrecker caused this Decimator's destruction and the loss of one of their most valuable assets and didn't report it to the Separatists causing them to lose the Battle of Anaxes.
During the war, the Union defended its key worlds with a combination of surplus and prototype starships from its member corporations. Several of these worlds, including Hypori, Skako Minor, and Utapau, became the sites of major battles.
At the war's conclusion, Minister Tambor, along with the other members of the Separatist Council, was killed on Mustafar. The Republic was reorganized into the Galactic Empire, which then absorbed the remaining elements of the Techno Union. This forced its lower-level technicians and machine smiths to seek new employment throughout the galaxy. The Empire subsequently awarded the Techno Union's refineries to the Mining Guild. The Techno Union's dissolution also resulted in the takeover of some of its former territories by individuals for their personal gain. For instance, after the Union's expulsion, Mokko, an enslaver and miner, seized control of one of its Ipsium mines on Ipsidon.