Maroc - TAIWANTODAY.TW - Top News - 01/May 00:00

Taiwan to step up drone development

The government will invest a total of NT$44.2 billion (US$1.4 billion) from 2025 to 2030 to promote Taiwan’s drone sector, Premier Cho Jung-tai said after a briefing on the local sector’s development April 30 at the Executive Yuan.   Cho said the promotion will comprise four strategies: expanding demand at home and abroad; deepening global connections and developing key areas such as flight control and satellite positioning software and technology; promoting industrial clusters; and strengthening regulations and obtaining global certifications to enhance governance.   According to the premier, with the rapid development of artificial intelligence and communications technology, drones are used not only for military and defense purposes but also in agriculture, commerce, logistics and public safety.   The local sector’s output in 2025 amounted to NT$12.9 billion, up 158 percent from the year before, while whole-unit exports reached NT$2.95 billion, a 21-fold increase from NT$140 million in 2024, he said, adding that the local sector’s output is expected to reach NT$40 billion in 2030 as domestic and global demand continues to grow.   Cho said there are 267 firms in the local drone supply chain, spanning whole-unit assembly, power, communications technology and flight control. All related ministries and agencies have been directed to coordinate efforts to integrate the local supply chain, expand the domestic market and promote exports in order to position Taiwan as a regional hub of the global democratic drone supply chain, he added. (SFC-E)   Write to Taiwan Today at ttonline@mofa.gov.tw