Chiayi: On a stretch of open land in southern Taiwan, an engineer from Thunder Tiger Corp. wearing first-person view goggles guides an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) through a series of sharp turns before bringing it down for a controlled landing. Nearby, at the Asia UAV AI Innovation Application R and D Center in Chiayi County, Taiwanese drone maker 7A Drones Co., Ltd. is testing a multirotor drone with engineers from French company Parrot Drones SAS.
According to Focus Taiwan, the center, once a vacant site described by local officials as a "wasteland," has become a key base for Taiwan's push to develop a trusted drone supply chain at a time of rising demand for alternatives to Chinese-made UAVs. It now hosts more than 50 drone companies and institutions and has received representatives from 36 companies around the world for exchanges with Taiwanese firms based at the site.
Chiayi County Magistrate Weng Chang-liang recalled how the center was established in Puzi City. The 5,000-ping (16,528-square-meter) site had been vacant since the National Taiwan University of Sport's Chiayi campus moved out in 2015, prompting the county government to look for ways to reactivate the land. A drone center was not the original plan. After taking office in 2018, Weng began encouraging drone companies to set up operations there after learning that the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology planned to build a drone-focused facility nearby.
When inaugurating the Asia UAV R and D Center in August 2022, then-President Tsai Ing-wen announced plans for a Taiwan drone alliance integrating the public, private, and research sectors, expressing hope that Chiayi could become a new aerospace hub. The policy direction boosted confidence among companies and institutions, attracting support from the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA), the Civil Aviation Administration, and certification bodies.
Taiwan's drone industry gained new urgency after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Economics Minister Kung Ming-hsin noted that Taiwan has signed memorandums of understanding with France, the United States, Poland, and the Czech Republic, all seeking alternatives to Chinese supply chains. After taking office in May 2024, President Lai Ching-te named drones one of Taiwan's five "trustworthy industries," aimed at strengthening ties with democratic partners.
Industrial Technology Research Institute Chairman Wu Tsung-tsong stated the institute is seeking partnerships with startups globally to complement Taiwan's hardware strengths and improve software capabilities and system integration. The U.S.-based Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International plans to establish its first overseas Green UAS certification mechanism in Taiwan. Kung highlighted the need to develop unmanned systems to strengthen national defense and resilience, with broad civilian applications like infrastructure inspection and disaster rescue.
Several Taiwanese firms have begun expanding internationally. Companies like Carbon Based Technology Inc. and Thunder Tiger have transformed into drone companies, establishing operations at the Chiayi R and D Center. Weng mentioned the county government's acquisition of land in nearby Taibao City for a second base to meet growing demand. The National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology also announced plans for an aerospace and drone industrial park in Minxiong, expected to host more than 100 companies by 2028.
According to MOEA data, the industry's output value reached NT$12.9 billion (US$407.72 million) in 2025, a 2.5-fold increase from 2024, with exports totaling NT$2.95 billion. Growth continued into 2026, with first-quarter exports already surpassing the total for all of 2025. Taiwan's drone sector has grown from scattered startups into a government-backed supply chain aimed at serving both domestic needs and overseas markets looking for trusted alternatives to Chinese-made UAVs.