Taiwan’s Chiayi County Magistrate, Weng Zhang Liang, led a delegation from the county government and representatives from the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) industry-academia-research sectors to Poland for exchanges. On the 7th, they signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Pomeranian Development Authority and attended a Taiwan-Poland UAV industry matchmaking meeting on the 8th to expedite connections with the European market.
The Chiayi County government of Taiwan issued a press release today (September 9th) stating that the exchange activities included Weng Zhang Liang, Deputy Governor of Pomerania Marcin Skwierawski, CEO of the Pomeranian Development Authority Katarzyna Matuszak, as well as representatives from Taiwan such as the Taiwan-Poland Business Association, LeiHoo Technology, Hope Innovation, UAV Innovative Technology, Lingxiao Technology, and representatives from National Chung Cheng University and National Huwei University, showcasing the collaborative efforts of the government, industry, and academia in jointly expanding into the European market.
Weng Zhang Liang expressed that in recent years, Taiwan and Poland have been increasingly engaged in exchanges in the UAV industry and he hopes to deepen cooperation and expand the market based on existing foundations. Chiayi has historically been an important agricultural and food production base in Taiwan. With the entry of TSMC and the gradual formation of a UAV industry cluster in recent years, the industrial structure is undergoing transformation. The purpose of this delegation to Poland is to allow Chiayi’s industrial layout to venture beyond Taiwan and connect internationally.
Weng Zhang Liang pointed out that Chiayi has been developing the UAV industry since 2020, gradually establishing an industry chain from research and development to manufacturing, with the next step being integration with the international market and supply chain. Taiwan and Poland each possess distinct industrial advantages; “what we have may be what Poland needs, and what Poland has may be what Taiwan needs.” The key to cooperation between the two sides is to find complementary positions.
He emphasized that Taiwan-Poland cooperation should not be limited to just industrial or technological sectors. Chiayi has a strong foundation in agriculture and in aspects such as agriculture, food, local brands, and market channels, there is also high cooperation potential. Both sides look forward to opening up more substantive cooperation through industry matching, urban exchanges, and business platforms.
The Taiwan-Poland UAV industry matchmaking meeting focused on industry demands and cooperation opportunities, where companies from both sides directly exchanged technical expertise and market positioning in areas such as UAV manufacturing, system integration, artificial intelligence, UAVs, defense technology, and supply chains, seeking mutual complementary projects through face-to-face discussions to establish follow-up business and technical cooperation channels.
Weng Zhang Liang stated that Poland’s strategic location in Europe with great industrial and market development potential has allowed Polish companies to further recognize Taiwan’s energy in UAV research, manufacturing, and supply chains. Substantial cooperation between Taiwan and Poland’s enterprises is already underway, indicating that bilateral exchanges are gradually bearing fruit. In the future, more connections between companies are expected to be facilitated, enabling Chiayi’s UAV industry to utilize Poland as an important node to further connect with the European market.
Deputy Governor of Pomerania Marcin Skwierawski mentioned that although Chiayi and Pomerania are geographically distant, their industrial development exhibits significant complementarity. Pomerania has been actively developing unmanned systems and innovative technology in recent years, while Chiayi has gradually formed an industrial cluster covering UAV research, testing, and manufacturing. The signing of the MOU this time is an important milestone in the relationship between the two sides and marks a new starting point for future cooperation.
Marcin Skwierawski expressed his anticipation that both sides will deepen exchanges in unmanned systems, smart technology, and industrial innovation based on this cooperation, and seek specific cooperation opportunities through direct company exchanges and matchmaking, with a future expansion into education, culture, tourism, among other fields, establishing a long-term and stable partnership.
Pomerania Province is located in northern Poland, bordering the Baltic Sea, with the capital city of Gdańsk being an important port city in Poland. Historically, it has developed based on port shipping, shipbuilding, maritime engineering, and logistics industries. In recent years, it has actively positioned itself in new emerging technologies such as information and communications technology, artificial intelligence, and unmanned vehicles, aligning closely with Chiayi’s development direction in the field of UAV and technology industries.
The exchanges between Chiayi and Poland in the UAV industry have been heating up in recent months. In May of this year, Deputy Minister of Development and Technology of Poland, Michał Jaros, led a delegation to visit the Yachang Innovation Center in Chiayi; in July, representatives from the Polish defense industry giant PGZ Group visited Chiayi to interact with Taiwan’s UAV companies. Weng Zhang Liang’s delegation visit to Poland this time, from signing the MOU to face-to-face business matchmaking, has transitioned bilateral exchanges from mere “visits” to gradually progressing towards “industrial cooperation,” creating more possibilities for Chiayi’s UAV industry to connect with Poland and expand into the European market.