TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — An Indonesian delegation visited I-Mei Foods Co.’s factory in Taoyuan’s Longtan District on Friday, touring its food production lines, energy-saving systems, and drone testing facilities.

Putu Juli Ardika, a director general from Indonesia's Ministry of Industry, led the group that included other ministry officials and representatives from Indonesian companies.

The delegation was welcomed by I-Mei partner 7A Drones, which presented a brief drone fireworks display. The company then demonstrated the drone's agricultural applications, including chemical spraying.

The company also introduced two large drones currently in development. According to I-Mei, these UAVs are expected to be used for applications such as search and rescue, cargo transport, and container delivery.

The group then toured I-Mei’s Bong-Khang wind tunnel, a facility for testing UAVs under four extreme weather conditions—cold, heat, wind, and rain. The 45-meter-long, 5-meter-wide tunnel includes a track designed to test robotic dogs on challenging surfaces such as pebbles, gravel, sand, mud, and water.

The tour also included I-Mei’s ice storage system, made up of five silos ranging from 9 to 21 meters in height. The facility produces ice using off-peak electricity and stores it for use in daytime air conditioning, helping reduce overall energy consumption. The company added that it also developed a compact, containerized version of the system for use in smaller venues.

Delegates sampled I-Mei’s freeze-dried snacks and learned about its vacuum freeze dryer system. The unit, which includes a freezing chamber 45 meters long and 2.5 meters wide, uses low-temperature freezing, vacuum drying, and ice sublimation to remove over 90% of moisture while preserving flavor, color, and nutrients.

I-Mei shared its history, emphasizing its commitment to food safety and to high standards for its products. The company expressed optimism for future collaborations in both food production and drone technology.

Delegation members commended the factory for its advanced automation and strong emphasis on food safety. Putu highlighted Indonesia's rich agricultural resources and expressed optimism that the visit to Taiwan would help enhance Indonesia's production technologies.

He emphasized his interest in I-Mei's vacuum freeze dryer system, expressing a willingness to implement similar technology in Indonesia to enhance the preservation of local agricultural products. The delegation also showed interest in collaborating with I-Mei on drone technology to assist with palm oil tree cultivation in Indonesia.

Tirta Nugraha Mursitama, Indonesia's deputy minister for Investment and Downstream Industry, led a delegation on the factory tour in November. 

Tirta expressed appreciation for the warm welcome and the opportunity to observe the factory’s production process, stating Indonesia’s openness to providing factories with full government support. He also highlighted the country’s large farming population and hopes for future collaboration.

*I-Mei is the parent company of Taiwan News