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Sep 21
Taiwan drone makers pursue dual-track growth on domestic defense orders, US market expansion

Following the Legislative Yuan's passage of the Act on Strengthening Defense Autonomy and Developing the Unmanned Vehicles Industry and its subsequent countersignature by the Executive Yuan, Taiwan's drone industry is preparing for a potential new wave of government procurement, with tenders possibly emerging by the end of 2026. While the expected domestic orders could provide a boost, Taiwanese drone manufacturers are also accelerating overseas expansion to diversify their customer base and reduce reliance on local procurement.

FarEasTone Telecommunications has cleared four of the six regulatory steps required to bring Amazon Leo to Taiwan, but commercial service will not start until 2027 at the earliest, in line with Amazon's own timetable.

Very low Earth orbit (VLEO) is moving from concept toward real-world deployment.

The broader high-tech landscape has wondered for years about the subtle transactions and movements unfolding underneath the enormous technology ecosystem Elon Musk has stitched together amid a rapidly expanding business reach across AI-driven industries.
China's rare earth export controls are changing the rules governing global critical mineral supply chains. For Taiwan, the real concern is not that China could suddenly halt all exports one day, but that export licensing, end-use reviews, price volatility, longer lead times, and "hidden dependencies" embedded in intermediate materials and components could gradually raise the cost and uncertainty of maintaining normal production.
While the US showcases its strength as one of the world's established space powers — reinforced by SpaceX's growing dominance in satellite connectivity — a quieter but equally ambitious force is accelerating half a world away: China's push to build integrated, fully networked orbital infrastructure that goes beyond single-satellite launches.

The UK government has pledged GBP30 million (approx. US$40.6 million) to SaxaVord Spaceport in Shetland, placing domestic orbital launch capability at the center of its new space strategy as it seeks to advance commercial rocket launches, satellite communications, and national security in parallel.

Shinkong Synthetic Fibers Corporation (SSFC) is working with Swiss drone company Jedsy through its investment in Earthbook, bringing in a medical logistics service that has won approval from Taiwan's Civil Aviation Administration and the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Jedsy also plans to increase investment in Taiwan and is reportedly preparing to move its main production base from Europe to Taiwan.

Twoway has signed an agency procurement contract with a purchasing delegation from Oklahoma, marking a breakthrough in its defense strategy as it expands North American deployment of FPV drones, various unmanned vehicles, and mobile security vehicles.
China's capital, Beijing, is tightening drone controls further, with the municipal legislature approving revisions to the Beijing Regulations on Unmanned Aircraft Management that will take effect on November 15, 2026. The entire administrative area of Beijing will be designated as controlled airspace for unmanned aircraft, banning drone flights, the possession and storage of drones and their core components, and the transport of such equipment into the city.
Two Beyond 5G low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites being developed by the Taiwan Space Agency (TASA) under a National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) program, along with four LEO communications satellites awarded to Wistron and Compal Electronics under an NT$1.178 billion (approx. US$37 million) contract, will not be ready in time to meet the government's communications resilience requirements for 2027.
Starlink's enormous low-Earth-orbit (LEO) footprint has long cast a shadow over the broader aerospace industry, turning satellite broadband into a race defined as much by constellation scale as by network performance.