On April 28, 2025, seven scholars from three leading German think tanks—The German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP), the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF), and the Mercator Institute for China Studies (MERICS)—visited DSET to exchange views on various aspects of Taiwan–Europe strategic cooperation in emerging technologies, including generative AI governance, drone supply chains, satellite communications, submarine cable security, semiconductor export controls, and energy policy.
SWP is a prestigious German and European think tank specializing in foreign and security policy, providing advice to the German government and parliament as well as decision-makers in relevant international organisations such as the European Union, NATO and the United Nations. GMF focuses on transatlantic and global policy research and analysis. MERICS is the largest European think tank dedicated to the study of China.
In his opening remarks, DSET CEO Jeremy Chih-Cheng Chang emphasized the need for multilateral cooperation mechanisms between Taiwan and its European allies to safeguard critical technology supplies in light of China’s continued efforts to bypass export controls and employ gray zone tactics. He also introduced DSET’s recent report, “Walking a Tightrope: Navigating Taiwan–U.S. Semiconductor Security Under Trump 2.0”, which analyzes potential developments in U.S. semiconductor policy under a second Trump administration, including tariffs, export controls, and investment screening. He pointed out that both Taiwan and Europe face similar challenges in their cooperation with the U.S., and thus think tanks on both sides should deepen exchanges to explore joint response strategies.
On national security and communication resilience, DSET noted that Taiwan, learning from the experience of the war in Ukraine, is actively pursuing partnerships with satellite service providers for wartime backup communications. In addition to ongoing efforts with Starlink, European providers are also key partners—such as OneWeb, which already operates in Taiwan, and SES, which has signed a memorandum of understanding. Other systems under consideration include Canada’s Telesat and Amazon’s Project Kuiper. DSET called on European think tanks to strengthen joint research on wartime communication resilience to enhance Taiwan’s backup capabilities.
In the drone sector, DSET highlighted that building a resilient domestic drone supply chain in Taiwan will depend heavily on collaboration with Europe. Taiwan has launched its largest-ever defense drone procurement plan but still faces challenges such as high production costs, lack of access to international markets, and gaps in key components. Given Ukraine’s estimated need for 5 million drones annually, Taiwanese companies are reaching out to Ukrainian and neighboring manufacturers to supply locally produced components, aiming to replace China as a key player in the global drone supply chain.
DSET is currently conducting research on Taiwan–Europe cooperation in drone supply chains and looks forward to expanding joint efforts with European think tanks in this field.
In response to European concerns about the uncertainty of U.S. alliance commitments, DSET explained that Taiwan has already responded to U.S. expectations through natural gas purchases and arms deals. These moves are in fact mutually beneficial, as Taiwan genuinely needs and is willing to expand military procurement.
Moreover, under Taiwan’s energy transition strategy, natural gas demand is expected to rise significantly in the coming years, and diversifying import sources aligns with national interests. Nevertheless, given increasing uncertainties in Taiwan–U.S. security cooperation, Taiwan and Europe must deepen collaboration—especially in urgent areas such as defense-related satellite and drone cooperation.