TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will send a Drone Diplomacy Task Force delegation in May to Xponential 2026, a major international exhibition for uncrewed systems.

This year’s exhibition will be held in Detroit, according to the foreign ministry. The ministry said the show will allow Taiwanese drone manufacturers to take part in business matchmaking with global supply chains and help Taiwan build strategic advantages.

Taiwan is seeking to establish itself as an Asian hub for the democratic drone supply chain.

The Drone Diplomacy Task Force visited Dusseldorf, Germany, in March to participate in Xponential Europe 2026 and explore the feasibility of hosting large-scale exhibitions in Taiwan.

The foreign ministry said it is actively promoting drone diplomacy in alignment with President Lai Ching-te’s (賴清德) five trusted industry sectors: semiconductors, AI, defense, security and surveillance, and next-generation communications.

Plans are underway to help establish the Global Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle Academy, the foreign ministry said. In the future, international technical exchange workshops will be co-organized with Taiwan’s allies and like-minded countries to export Taiwanese drone training expertise.

Taiwan’s drone exports reached US$100 million (NT$3.15 billion) in the first quarter of 2026. Exports of complete drones reached US$115.85 million from January to March, compared with US$93.42 million in 2025.