TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said Taiwan will mass produce drones to meet the needs of the country’s military following a defense exhibition in Taipei on Friday (Sept. 15).

Tsai attended the Taipei Aerospace & Defense Technology Exhibition (TADTE) on its second day, and said Taiwan will also produce drones for civilian use. “This will maximize production capacity and help to increase Taiwan’s drone research and development capabilities,” she wrote after attending the exhibition.

Drones were a significant focus of the exhibition, and a forum explaining the development of drones in Taiwan quickly reached capacity. Chi Li-ping (齊立平) of National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) said the U.S. was still leading the way in drone development and production, but Taiwan was catching up.

NCSIST displayed 10 of its most advanced drones at the exhibition. The drones on display ran from a lightweight model that a single soldier could operate to a model that can travel up to 1,000 kilometers and reach a speed of 500 to 600 kph.

Chiayi Economic Development Department head Zhen-wei Chiang (江振瑋) said that Taiwan’s design and materials for drone production were highly developed and sought after by international manufacturers, including those from Japan. He added his department had engaged with 15 different countries on drone production, including Australia, Japan, the U.S., and Germany.

Head of the Taiwan transport ministry’s research department Lin Chi-kuo (林繼國) explained the civilian uses for drones in Taiwan. He said the technology has proved particularly useful in solving logistical problems posed by Taiwan’s sometimes rugged terrain.

Lin said the ministry had partnered with the postal service and successfully trialed package delivery in mountainous areas, and between Taiwan’s outlying islands, using drones.

Tsai said the efforts of Taiwan manufacturers had increased Taiwan’s independence. “Many domestic manufacturers that originally relied on foreign key technologies are now able to make their own,” she said.

Increased drone production was also a key feature of Taiwan's defense white paper, released Tuesday. Taiwan aims to produce 7,700 drones by 2028, the report said — 700 of military grade, and 7,000 commercial.