The Taiwan-US Defense Industry Forum was held on the 6th, with attendees revealing that in addition to major factories conducting briefings, discussions were also held on areas including “materials, cybersecurity, power, artificial intelligence (AI),” while still needing critical technologies to be assisted by allied countries in order to break through existing bottlenecks.
According to reports from the Central News Agency, a delegation composed of 27 US defense contractors arrived in Taiwan on the 3rd. Apart from well-known companies like Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, Boeing, AeroVironment, and Northrop Grumman, it also included unmanned boat manufacturer MARTAC, surveillance aerostat producer TCOM, L.P., and other companies.
The Taiwan-US Defense Industry Forum took place at the Taipei International Convention Center on the 6th, where it was inaugurated by former US Pacific Marine Corps Commander Lieutenant General Steven Rudder, Chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan Hans Ruibo, Vice Chairman of the Taiwan Defense Industry Development Association Wu Mingwei, and the General Manager of Hanwha Aerospace Ma Wanjun. Former Deputy Minister of National Defense of the Republic of China and legislator Chen Yongkang delivered a keynote speech during the luncheon.
The agenda for the day’s meeting was slightly adjusted, with the originally planned 3 major sessions consolidated into 2, but the briefing units remained unchanged. Unlike last year, this year’s event was entirely closed to the public.
Attendees expressed that as Taiwan continues to develop and deepen its defense autonomy, the forum focused on international cooperation in defense autonomy and critical technologies. While Taiwan possesses hardware capabilities and abundant energy in small and medium-sized enterprises, in addition to integrating energy, the attending entities emphasized the need for key technologies in areas such as “materials, cybersecurity, power, and artificial intelligence,” which still require further cooperation from allied countries to overcome existing bottlenecks.
Attendees shared that the main purpose of this forum was to provide a platform for Taiwanese companies to introduce themselves and promote cooperation opportunities, with the delegation of arms merchants present showing particular interest in related domestic defense projects.
However, some participants felt that this forum only allowed major Taiwanese companies like Hanwha Aerospace and CSBC Corporation to conduct briefings and explanations, while other Taiwanese companies had fewer opportunities to present. The actual time for communication was also limited, with hopes for more platforms in the future to enable more Taiwanese companies to engage in substantive communication.
Scholar Su Ziyun from the Institute for National Defense and Security Studies, when interviewed, stated that due to the conventions and rules of international closed-door meetings, he must respect the organizing unit and participants, therefore refraining from speaking on their behalf. However, from a personal perspective, he observed that Taiwan’s hardware manufacturing industry is internationally renowned, with some companies already integrated into the US defense supply chain. Therefore, if Taiwan wants to expand its capacity in the future, in addition to the “hard work” of manufacturing, the “soft skills” of corporate governance are crucial.
Su Ziyun mentioned that soft skills involve maintaining confidentiality, process security, and technology control capabilities to comply with regulations such as the Wassenaar Arrangement, arms export controls, and industrial security management. This will allow Taiwanese companies to become secure production partners for the US and other democratic countries, which he views as crucial for the connection between the Taiwan-US defense industries.