As countries worldwide accelerate efforts to develop homegrown defense technology capabilities, Taiwan's National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) showcased three key technologies at the Taiwan Innotech Expo 2026 (TIE), aimed at moving defense research from the laboratory to the battlefield and advancing dual-use applications.
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.
The United Arab Emirates said it plans to invest EUR40 billion in Germany, or about US$46 billion, across artificial intelligence, energy and defense as it deepens economic and strategic ties with Europe. According to Bloomberg, the commitment reflects Abu Dhabi's push to expand its role in fast-growing AI markets while broadening cooperation beyond the US.
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.
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.
Taiwan is planning to deploy drone detection and countermeasure systems at nuclear power plants and other critical infrastructure to strengthen its ability to respond to security threats. The Nuclear Safety Commission (NSC) is conducting a nuclear emergency response drill at the Second Nuclear Power Plant and surrounding areas from September 8–10.
Getac Holdings is expanding aggressively into drone opportunities on the back of its strong industrial rugged computer foundation, making the segment a continued growth driver in the second half of 2026.
Sysgration said in August 2026 that rising demand for artificial intelligence, industrial PCs, and drone systems continued to expand its operating scale, while Taiwan's government moved closer to large-scale drone procurement. The company said the policy push is shifting into budget and purchasing stages, positioning 2026 as a key year for domestic drone buying in Taiwan.
ChenFull Precision has expanded rapidly in recent years from traditional precision manufacturing operations such as welding and surface treatment into the semiconductor process equipment supply chain. Its overall business portfolio is also shifting increasingly toward semiconductors, with the company formally reclassified as a semiconductor stock on the Taipei Stock Exchange in 2025.
South Korean battery startup UBATT is targeting aerospace and defense applications such as drones and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with high-energy-density lithium-metal batteries, aiming at applications that require 400–500 Wh/kg or more and are difficult for conventional lithium-ion batteries to serve.
The US-China space race is broadening beyond rocket launches and crewed lunar missions into a growing array of strategic arenas, including lunar resources, low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellite constellations, space computing and military capabilities in orbit.
US drone tech companies Shield AI and AeroVironment have strengthened ties with Taiwan's defense sector, and they have opened offices in Taiwan in recent years. At Semicon Taiwan 2026, both companies updated their cooperation plans and outlook for the island's drone industry.
Taiwan plans to deepen its role in global technology supply chains as demand for AI chips, advanced packaging, and memory tightens worldwide. A new policy agenda aims to bolster semiconductor output, expand AI deployment, and strengthen resilience in industries that affect manufacturers, investors, and consumers across regions.
By the final afternoon of K-Safety Expo 2026, after three days of threading my way through BEXCO's sprawling exhibition halls in Busan, one impression had become difficult to ignore: AI was no longer sitting beside the safety industry as an adjacent technology. It was increasingly becoming part of safety's definition.
The most consequential safety technologies are often judged by what happens after something goes wrong: how fast an alarm sounds, how quickly rescuers arrive, or how effectively protective equipment limits injury.
The BEST OF K-SAFETY EXPO Global Media Awards on September 3 offered a revealing snapshot of where safety technology is heading: away from passive protection and toward systems that can sense danger, interpret it, and increasingly act before humans intervene.
South Korea's safety-tech sector may be increasingly filled with AI cameras, robots, drones, and predictive systems, but BEXCO general manager Tom Choi argues that the force pushing many of those technologies toward actual deployment begins somewhere less glamorous: government policy.
Trustworthy supply chain concerns are extending beyond semiconductors to drones and other autonomous systems, now emerging as national strategic industries. At a Semicon Taiwan 2026 side forum, defense and industry experts from Taiwan and the US called for stronger production capacity, standardized interfaces, testing infrastructure and predictable government procurement to turn Taiwan's supply chain strengths into a globally trusted base for unmanned systems.
Japanese industrial giants Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and NEC Corporation have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to establish a strategic partnership in the defense sector. The alliance aims to fortify Japan's defense industrial base while bolstering national data and AI sovereignty amid shifting global security dynamics.
GoPro's planned US$285 million merger with Starman Optical could give the struggling action-camera maker a path to recapitalize its balance sheet and expand into optical transceivers, AI infrastructure, defense, robotics, and aerospace. The deal would repay GoPro's roughly US$92 million in debt while leaving existing shareholders with about 10% of the combined company, potentially marking a major shift in GoPro's business beyond consumer cameras.
ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) has escalated its defense against the US government, shifting from supply-chain and technological competition into a full-scale courtroom battle. On August 28, 2026, the Chinese memory leader disclosed a stellar first-half financial report following its IPO and announced on the same day that it was suing the US Department of Defense (DoD).
Millimeter-wave phased-array solutions provider Tmytek is set to list on the Innovation Board in September. Although the company has yet to turn profitable, its revenue mix has been shifting rapidly in recent years as antenna modules take a larger share, raising hopes that earnings will improve as upcoming projects scale up.
Hard hats and fire extinguishers will certainly have their place at K-Safety Expo 2026, but visitors arriving at BEXCO in Busan from September 2–4 may find that the modern safety industry increasingly speaks the language of AI, robots, sensors and connected infrastructure.
K-Safety Expo 2026, South Korea's leading dedicated safety-industry exhibition, will open September 2 at BEXCO in Busan, bringing together companies, government agencies, research institutions and overseas buyers across disaster prevention, industrial safety, public security, fire and rescue, and transportation and maritime safety.
