TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — "Chips Team Taiwan" will encourage companies to build drones, satellites, and robotics locally, science and technology minister Wu Cheng-wen (吳誠文) has said.

Wu said of the new initiative on Tuesday, "Today we are working on the national security systems, and the defense spending is getting higher and higher in the next few years for Taiwan ... so that means we are creating our own market for the chip industry to form our local supply chain.” Wu said Taiwan’s top priority is drone production, while plans for robotics will be introduced early next year, per Reuters.

The goal is to reduce reliance on China as the world's biggest manufacturer of commercial drones. Taiwan had previously intended to become a manufacturing hub for drones in Asia. 

Most of Taiwan’s chip companies have focused on exporting products overseas. Wu said Taiwan's growing regional security concerns and defense needs will create a stronger local demand for technology products from chip design firms. 

The government is reportedly contacting local commercial drone makers and aviation and aerospace firms. The military will work with the companies to develop a domestic supply chain for drone production.