On May 17, 2025, Taiwanese Premier Rong-Tai Cho visited the Asian Unmanned Drone AI Innovation and Application Research Center in Chiayi County with the aim of building a national team of drones and striving to achieve a production value target of 40 billion New Taiwan Dollars (approximately 1.23 billion US dollars) by 2030.
During his visit, Premier Rong-Tai Cho was accompanied by officials from the Ministry of National Defense, Ministry of Economic Affairs, National Development Council, Ministry of Transportation, and other relevant central government agencies. They met with Chiayi County Magistrate Wen-Chang Weng and representatives from drone industry to discuss the development of the drone industry.
According to the Chiayi County government, former President Tsai Ing-wen personally inaugurated the Asia Innovation Center in 2022, attracting nearly 50 industry, government, academic, and research units, hosting guests from 31 countries, and becoming a showcase of Taiwan’s drone industry on the international stage. President Lai Ching-te and Vice President Hsiao Mei-chin also visited the center, demonstrating the government’s emphasis on the drone industry.
Premier Rong-Tai Cho pointed out that Taiwan’s drone industry is in its early stages, and the government has shown a clear determination to promote it. Drones and smart robotics have been identified as strategic industries alongside semiconductors, transitioning from high-tech manufacturing to the era of applications.
Over the past year, the government has undertaken 5 major actions and 20 ongoing programs, and has outlined the “1+7” future action framework. The drone industry has already achieved many remarkable results, and the government will continue to focus on unresolved challenges and potential risks, as these are key factors in aligning with international standards.
Premier Rong-Tai Cho mentioned that the Executive Yuan has established a “Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Project Meeting” with the three main focuses on industry development, defense autonomy, and democratic supply chain. Through regular project meetings, horizontal connections will be strengthened, and the establishment of industry clusters is essential. He urged relevant ministries and industry players to collaborate in building a national drone team to achieve the 2030 target of a 40 billion NT dollars production value.
In order to assist companies in identifying and resolving issues, the Executive Yuan, under the leadership of Vice Premier Li-chun Cheng, has convened the “Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Industry Development and Management Mechanism Meeting” to integrate cross-ministerial efforts and coordinate the promotion and development of the drone industry. Additionally, the Ministry of Economic Affairs is planning to propose a “Coordinated Development Plan for the Drone Industry” and has established the “Unmanned Drone Overseas Business Opportunities Alliance” to connect with international markets for more collaboration opportunities.
Regarding flight test sites, Premier Rong-Tai Cho mentioned that the Ministry of National Defense is responsible for the selection and evaluation of flight test sites. To create industrial cluster effects, the proximity between flight test sites and innovation research and development centers as well as manufacturing bases is one of the important considerations. He urged the Ministry of National Defense to quickly understand the industry’s needs and the actual situation of various location options.
He emphasized that the connection between military and commercial standards and the construction of countermeasure systems are crucial aspects of national security. It is expected that drone companies master core technologies to break free from reliance on red supply chains and establish a resilient democratic supply system, which is also where the international community holds high expectations for Taiwan. In the future, through regular project meetings to integrate cross-ministerial resources, the government aims to achieve an annual production value of 30 billion NT dollars (approximately 992 million US dollars) in the drone industry by 2028.
Chiayi County Magistrate Wen-Chang Weng stated that the drone industry is a significant development for Taiwan. He hopes that the central and local governments, as well as companies, can work together to make the drone industry cluster in Taiwan a manufacturing center for the Asian supply chain.
Weng noted that both the Asia Innovation Center and the future Asia Innovation Center II are managed by the Chiayi County government. The central government is currently planning related programs to take over for overall management, enhancing product stability and market competitiveness.
Li Ya-ping, Director of the Economic Development Department of Chiayi County government, explained that the current space at the Asia Innovation Center is facing bottlenecks. To meet the needs of companies for settling in and testing, the county government has proposed the “Asia Innovation Center I and II Space Transformation Plan,” which has been included in the “Coordinated Development Plan for the Drone Industry” handled by the Executive Yuan. It is recommended to proceed as soon as possible and be led by the central government for overall planning, utilizing key technologies and expanding international cooperation space to accelerate the development of drone applications.