Taiwan’s cooperation with Poland highlights how drones, like semiconductors, are becoming strategic assets. Taiwan has a “central and eastern Europe supply chain resilience plan,” and is cooperating with Poland on drone production, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said in an interview with the Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister newspaper) published on Sunday.
Taiwan and Poland last week signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on developing a “non-China” supply chain for drones and to work together on key technologies. The agreement comes as Russia’s war against Ukraine, as well as China’s growing assertiveness, underscores the strategic importance of secure and trusted defense supply chains.
Taiwanese drone manufacturers such as Thunder Tiger Corp, GEOSAT Aerospace & Technology Inc and Coretronic Corp have the capacity and willingness to participate in international collaborations, Lin said, adding that the government has allocated funding to support such efforts.
Taiwan is also weighing drone industry cooperation with the Philippines, and countries in central and eastern Europe, Lin said.
Lin’s remarks followed a Sept. 25 report by the Japan Times that Poland has become the largest buyer of Taiwanese drones, accounting for nearly 60 percent of drone exports.
The report said that Taiwan’s drone sector had previously struggled with limited orders and shortages of key components, while larger firms had avoided the industry due to business ties with China or doubts about demand.
However, increased government investment and rising interest from countries seeking to bypass Chinese drone components have created new opportunities for Taiwanese manufacturers.
The Japan Times cited Joanna Rutkowska, operations director at Polish drone firm Farada, as saying that the company sources components from Taiwan because of their quality and compliance with US security standards. Farada hopes to sell completed drones to Taiwan’s military, she said.
The report also quoted Polish Chamber of Unmanned Systems board member Justyna Siekierczak, who described the growing interdependence between Poland’s drone sector and Ukraine’s military.
“Our proximity to Ukraine is definitely an advantage. Ukraine is now a major customer for drone parts, which also allows us to gain valuable experience from Ukrainian drone manufacturers and customers,” she said.
Reuters on Wednesday last week also reported on the interdependence. Poland is in talks to transfer MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine in exchange for access to Ukrainian drone technology, it quoted Polish Minister of National Defense Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz as saying in a radio interview.
Together, the developments suggest that Poland is a growing market for drones and a significant manufacturing base, but one that still relies on external partners for some key technologies. Its close cooperation with Ukraine also offers rare opportunities to test new systems in real combat conditions.
Poland on Jan. 1 formally established its drone force, which integrates aerial, ground and maritime drones into a unified defense structure.
The drone force incorporates US-made Sky Guardian drones and Polish-produced loitering munitions, as well as domestic and allied counterdrone technologies. They include the artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted Merops counteruncrewed aerial system, which NATO has deployed along its eastern flank. Poland also cooperates closely with Ukraine on training, operations and technology sharing.
The war in Ukraine has demonstrated the central role drones play in modern warfare and NATO has taken note, accelerating investment in drone production and counterdrone defenses. Taiwan’s expanding partnership with Poland in the field helps to improve Taiwan-Europe ties. Just as Taiwanese semiconductors are indispensable to the global economy, Taiwanese drones and AI-enabled systems could become critical components of the global defense supply chain.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is considering establishing an international drone academy and an international drone pilot alliance, as well as hosting international drone pilot competitions, Lin said.
The government could also introduce scholarships for students from allied nations to study drone maintenance and repair in Taiwan.
This is an area where Taiwan could deepen cooperation with Ukraine, allowing both sides to benefit from shared training and field-based testing.
Drones would play a major role in any conflict in the Taiwan Strait. Taiwan should use this period of relative peace to bolster its defensive and offensive drone capabilities, while sharing technology, expertise and resources with partners in Europe.
