Furthermore, investments by Japanese pharmaceutical companies in biotech research will drive this area. In 1999, Kyowa Hakko and Mitsubishi Chemical formed a joint venture company called Gencom to use gene technology to develop new drugs. 17 With the assistance of the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO), which matches foreign companies with their Japanese counterparts, many U.S. biotech firms are in talks with companies in Japan about possible alliances. 18