2026/8/18

NSTC Minister expands academia-industry ties with Pittsburgh

National Science and Technology Council Minister Wu Cheng-wen led a delegation to Pittsburgh Pennsylvania’s Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) Aug. 13 to 14. The visit was to expand partnership links between Taiwan and top U.S. academic and research institutions. The delegation met with university leadership and research teams to focus on discussion of key technology issues, including artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, advanced manufacturing, and innovative research collaboration. During the visit, Wu met with Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O'Connor to exchange experience on urban innovation and transformation, exploring potential cooperation opportunities with key technology clusters in Taiwan. CMU’s School of Computer Science (SCS) and Robotics Institute hold leading positions in AI, autonomous robotic systems, embodied AI, and smart manufacturing. The delegation met with Martial Hebert SCS Dean to discuss AI and robotics development trends, interdisciplinary research collaboration, and personnel cultivation. The Biorobotics Lab and the CLAW Lab (Connecting Language, Action, and the World Lab) were also on the delegation’s schedule for their bio-inspired robotics, intelligent perception, natural language comprehension, and embodied AI. A target emphasis for the delegation was on mechanisms for translating scientific research outcomes and industry-academia cooperation to practical applications, and this end it visited the Robotics Innovation Center (RIC), Manufacturing Futures Institute (MFI), the Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) Institute, and the National Robotics Engineering Center (NREC). Taiwan aims to leverage such insights into interdisciplinary studies, technology transfer and industry partnership mechanisms as key references for enhancing commercialization of research and nurturing a robust innovation ecosystem. Wu and O’Connor shared experiences of transformation of traditional industry in Pittsburgh and Tainan, achieved through leveraging top research institutions and innovative enterprise momentum to build a dynamic tech ecosystem and cutting-edge technology cluster. The NTSC noted that Pittsburgh’s successful transformation serves as a valuable reference, and Taiwan looks forward to establishing a closer partnership with the city.  

2026/8/12

Taiwan expands drone cooperation with Czechia through workshop, MOU

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a workshop on drone systems Aug. 3-7 at the Asia UAV AI Innovation Application R&D Center in Chiayi County. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the inaugural workshop, part of its drone diplomacy program, involved 22 experts from local research and tertiary education institutes, and focused on technical discussions and experience sharing. The event was organized in cooperation with Czechia’s Farpoint Academy and involved such distinguished participants as Chiang Zhen-wei, chief executive director of the MOFA’s drone diplomacy task force, and Markéta Pekarová Adamová, former president of the Czech Chamber of Deputies and a current global advisory board member of the European Values Center for Security Policy. The ministry said Chiang and Adamová also signed a memorandum of understanding as part of the Aug. 9 opening ceremony of a drone innovation exhibit held in Chiayi. The agreement will expand talent training, enhance supply chain cooperation and facilitate jointly organized global events. Chiang said the MOFA’s drone diplomacy builds on the success of its chip diplomacy and underscores Taiwan’s pivotal role in the non-red global supply chain, given its manufacturing prowess in drones, semiconductors and related components. Adamová said that her previous visits to the center have prompted many discussions with Chiang on drone cooperation, and she expressed hope that the agreement will quickly bear fruit. In alignment with President Lai Ching-te’s Five Trusted Industry Sectors initiative, drone diplomacy was proposed by Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung in October 2025. The Global UAV Academy was created through the program and has concluded cooperative pacts with the U.S. and Japan to date, the ministry said, adding that it will continue to promote drone cooperation with like-minded partners in Europe.

2026/7/16

MOEA Supports Taiwan's Drone Industry Expansion into Japan: Taiwanese Drone Company Partners with Three Japanese Firms to Advance Outlying-Island Emergency Medical Transport and Logistics Applications

Minister of Economic Affairs Ming-Hsin Kung and Taiwan's Representative to Japan I-Yang Lee witnessed the signing of three Memorandum of Understanding (MOUs) under the framework of "Taiwan-Japan Industrial Technology Collaboration on Advanced Air Mobility and Drone Systems in Tokyo on July 15. The three agreements include a partnership among Taiwanese drone company 7A Drones, the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), and SkyDrive, a leading Japanese advanced air mobility company, to promote the use of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for emergency medical transport between Taiwan's outlying islands; cooperation between 7A Drones and Japanese logistics drone company AlterSky to introduce the commercial deployment of large cargo drones; and cooperation between 7A Drones and AeroJapan to develop training drone products for wildlife damage prevention. Minister Kung stated that Taiwan's drone industry has grown rapidly in recent years, with its output value rising significantly from approximately NT$5 billion in 2024 to NT$12.9 billion in 2025. Export value also surged from NT$140 million to NT$2.9 billion, demonstrating the industry's strong potential in overseas markets. Minister Kung highlighted three key aspects of the partnerships. First, they will deepen technological cooperation in the drone sector. Taiwan's independently developed flight control systems, motors, electronic speed controllers, and complete aircraft system integration capabilities will undergo further validation in real-world application environments in Japan. Second, the partnerships will expand application markets. Through introduction and validation across Japan's diverse application environments, Taiwan can provide reliable technologies, products, and solutions while further demonstrating the international application value of its innovative technologies. Finally, the partnerships will advance commercial deployment. The procurement partnership signed between 7A Drones and AlterSky marks an important step toward bringing Taiwan's large cargo drones to the Japanese market. It also demonstrates that Taiwan-Japan cooperation is progressing from technological validation to tangible commercial applications. Through these partnerships, Taiwan's reliable technologies, products, and solutions will gain greater international visibility. The MOEA will continue to help Taiwanese companies strengthen their international competitiveness and expand into global markets, Minister Kung added. Director General Chao-Chung Kuo of the MOEA's Department of Industrial Technology stated that, among the three agreements signed, the partnership among 7A Drones, ITRI, and SkyDrive in advanced air mobility (AAM) and outlying-island medical transport has officially progressed from the conceptual stage to the demonstration preparation stage. The three parties will focus on emergency medical transport needs in Taiwan's Penghu Islands, seeking to address medical access challenges caused by the suspension of ferry services during winter. A specific route between Magong and Hujing has already been planned. The service is expected to be officially launched after 2028. In the future, 7A Drones will lead local demonstrations, aircraft operations, maintenance, and repairs, while coordinating with administrative and medical institutions. The Department of Industrial Technology further explained that, in the field of large cargo drones, 7A Drones has signed a cooperation agreement with AlterSky, which is headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture. AlterSky has completed more than 1,000 drone operations across a wide range of applications, including electrical infrastructure, civil engineering, and disaster response. To address Japan's logistics labor shortages and aging population, the two companies will jointly promote field demonstrations of large cargo drones, provide support for regulatory certification under Japan's Civil Aeronautics Act, and advance commercial applications. By combining 7A Drones' aircraft system technologies with AlterSky's operational experience, the partnership will facilitate the successful introduction of Taiwan-made large cargo drones into the Japanese market. For training drone products, 7A Drones will also leverage AeroJapan's education, training, and maintenance support network to develop applications in wildlife damage prevention and talent cultivation. The MOEA emphasized that these Taiwan-Japan partnerships demonstrate that Taiwan's drone industry now possesses integrated export capabilities spanning key components, complete aircraft systems, and application services. This cooperation lays an important foundation for Taiwan's positioning within trusted global supply chains. Contacts Contact Person: Industrial Technology Research Institute Ms. Luca WU Phone: +886-3-591-3263 E-MAIL: yaju@itri.org.tw  

2026/4/13

President Lai inaugurates robotics research facility in Tainan

President Lai Ching-te said that the establishment of the National Center for AI Robotics is critical to Taiwan’s development as a smart technological island at the NCAIR’s opening ceremony April 10 in Tainan City. Lai added that the government’s Ten Major AI Infrastructure Projects were designed to respond to the advent of the artificial intelligence era and to ensure Taiwan’s next generation competitiveness. He emphasized that three key technologies are in focus: quantum computing, robotics and silicon photonics. The president said the goals of the infrastructure projects include the creation and expansion of an AI startup ecosystem, the digital transition of small-, micro- and medium-sized businesses, and the incorporation of AI into daily life. He spoke of the center as a hub for research that leads to practical applications as well as academic progress, and emphasized the importance of increasing Taiwan’s capability to integrate robotic technology in fields as varied as catering, manufacturing, and long-term care. Lai said he expected the center to draw interdisciplinary talent, since AI robotics requires experts in ethics and law, computer science and electrical engineering, materials science and design, and many more. The president anticipated close collaboration between the center and institutes of higher learning to nurture the necessary skills in current and future students. As AI and AI-powered robots are integrated into more people’s lives, information security and privacy protection become even more vital, Lai said. He pledged that the government would continue to reinforce data governance and information resilience so that Taiwan-made robots will be received in global markets as a reliable and trustworthy technology.

2025/12/17

MOTC holds international forum on UAS

The Ministry of Transportation and Communications hosted the 2025 International Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Advanced Air Mobility Forum Dec. 16 in Taipei City, highlighting government commitment to the sector. The forum drew around 150 domestic academic, governmental and industrial participants. European and U.S. civil aviation agencies’ representatives and other experts shared UAS and AAM regulations, testing systems and international standards. Ho Shu-ping, MOTC Civil Aviation Administration director general, noted that the government has continued to adjust regulation and monitoring mechanisms to facilitate cross-domain cooperation and provide drones with airspace for tests that contribute to industry development. Lin Kuo-shian, MOTC administrative deputy minister, lauded CAA accomplishments in promoting UAS. He further stated that airport safety and monitoring mechanisms were vital to continued development of the sector. The forum focused on an overview of international UAS and AAM development and an introduction to international safety specifications. On the former, Caspar Wang, U.S. Federal Aviation Administration senior representative, gave a briefing on certification and policy while Marcel Visser, German Technical Inspection Association expert, introduced European UAS testing development and regulatory compliance, the ministry added. The MOTC said that the CAA is committed to forging an innovative and resilient drone industry supply chain through a robust testing system and international exchange.