Between September and October 2025, the National Security Program of the Research Institute for Democracy, Society and Emerging Technology (DSET) was interviewed by Aviation Week, Denmark’s Berlingske, Business Today (今周刊), and CommonWealth Magazine (天下雜誌).
These interviews addressed Taiwan’s strategic role in the global drone supply chain, its new national drone procurement program, the development of dual-use industries, and the challenges of Europe’s defense autonomy.
Taiwan’s Drone Exports Surge Tenfold — Europe Emerges as the Main Market
The Business Today report on October 14, titled “Taiwan’s Drone Exports Rise Tenfold—Poland, Germany, and the Czech Republic Lead the Surge,” cited DSET’s June study “Drones for Democracy: U.S.-Taiwan Cooperation in Building a Resilient and China-Free UAV Supply Chain.” According to the study, Taiwan’s drone export value increased more than tenfold in two years, reaching US $2.16 million in the first quarter of 2025.
DSET Policy Analyst Cathy Fang noted that European countries—particularly the Czech Republic and Poland—are collaborating with Taiwan through two primary models:
- importing drone components from Taiwan for local assembly, either to support Ukraine or strengthen their own defense capacity; and
- inviting Taiwanese firms to establish manufacturing bases in Europe, especially for key components such as batteries and motors.
She emphasized that by learning from European partners’ battlefield experience in Ukraine, Taiwan can obtain critical technical feedback to improve the performance of domestically developed drones.
Europe Builds a “Drone Wall” — Institutionalized Taiwan-EU Cooperation Still Needed
The CommonWealth Magazine report on October 15, titled “Europe Builds a ‘Drone Wall,’ Turning to Taiwan—but Still a Few Steps from Integration” cited research by Hong-Lun Tiunn, Deputy Director of DSET’s National Security program, and Ting-Wei Lin, DSET Non-Resident Fellow.
Their study found that Poland has become Taiwan’s largest drone export destination, with more than 16,000 units exported by July 2025. The researchers observed that current Taiwan–Europe drone trade remains largely temporary and ad hoc, driven by wartime demand in Ukraine, and lacks institutionalized frameworks like the structured arms sales and co-development mechanisms seen between Taiwan and the United States.
They also pointed out that Taiwan holds advantages in motors, batteries, and optical components, but European manufacturers remain cautious due to cost factors and geopolitical risks. Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs–led Taiwan Excellent Drone International Business Opportunity Alliance (TEDIBOA) serves as an important platform for connecting Taiwanese manufacturers with European partners.
Taiwan–Ukraine Drone Collaboration Still at an Exploratory Stage
Aviation Week’s September 19 article, “Taiwan Partners with Portugal’s Tekever to Deploy Ukraine-Tested UAS,” reported on the collaboration between Portugal’s Tekever and Taiwan’s Apex Aviation to introduce AI-powered drones.
Hong-Lun Tiunn stated that Ukraine’s modular production and maintenance model for drones offers key lessons for Taiwan. He explained that Taiwan is learning from European partners how to scale up production and implement modular repair systems efficiently. However, most partnerships remain limited to memorandums of understanding (MOUs), and developing a formal industrial alliance remains the next challenge.
Taiwan’s NT$44.2 Billion Investment Plan to Build a Dual-Use Drone Ecosystem
Aviation Week’s October 17 report, “Taiwan Unveils $1.4 Billion Drone Hub Investment Plan,” covered the Executive Yuan’s NT$44.2 billion (US$1.4 billion) investment plan to make Taiwan an Asia-Pacific drone hub by 2030.
Cathy Fang commented that the initiative expands military procurement to include civilian and public-safety applications, effectively establishing a dual-use industrial ecosystem.
She explained that the plan aims to integrate the domestic value chain—from chips and sensors to flight control systems and application services—while encouraging international co-production to enhance supply-chain security and operational efficiency.
“T-Dome” Air-Defense Network — Building Multi-Layered Defense and Societal Resilience
Denmark’s Berlingske on October 17 published an article titled“Taiwan Plans to Replicate Israel’s ‘Iron Dome’ — The Explanation Lies in China’s Desert.” The piece reported that China has built a mock Taipei government district in Inner Mongolia for simulated attacks, while Taiwan launched its “T-Dome” air-defense program on the same day.
The article quoted Cathy Fang, who explained that T-Dome seeks to integrate missile, fighter, and drone-based defense systems into a multi-layered protection network, while also strengthening public confidence and psychological resilience—a practical application of Taiwan’s asymmetric defense strategy.
Poland’s Drone Purchases Reflect Europe’s Supply Chain Reconfiguration
Another Berlingske report on October 14, titled “Behind the Brutal Trade War Lies the Truth of China’s Control,” discussed how China’s dominance in rare-earth elements has become a geopolitical challenge.
The article cited Cathy Fang, who noted that Poland’s decision to purchase more than 13,000 Taiwan-made drones reflects Europe’s broader strategy of “de-Sinicization” and reindustrialization—seeking cooperation with Taiwan to reduce dependence on China and strengthen its defense technology autonomy.
