TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The Ministry of Economic Affairs said on Wednesday that domestic drone makers signed three cooperation agreements with Japanese partners to expand aerial logistics services, per anue.
Participants include the Industrial Technology Research Institute, 7A Drones, and Japanese firms SkyDrive, AlterSky, and AeroJapan. Taiwan will provide the systems and hardware, while Japan will provide the testing environment for evaluation.
Taiwan has been stepping up collaboration in the non-China drone supply chain in response to Beijing's military buildup, according to Nikkei Asia, while China maintains export controls on rare earths to Japan, which are critical for drone components such as batteries and motors. Japan is also strengthening regional partnerships and has loosened its own decades-long export restrictions on defense applications, kindling closer cooperation with Taiwan.
Economics Minister Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫) and Taiwan’s Representative to Japan Lee Yi-yang (李逸洋) attended the signings, which focused on electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, heavy logistics drones, and training systems for wildlife control. The ministry said Japan will provide the operating environments to validate Taiwanese technologies, thereby accelerating market entry.
The minister said Taiwan’s drone industry output rose from about NT$5 billion (US$157 million) in 2024 to NT$12.9 billion in 2025, while export value jumped from NT$140 million to NT$2.9 billion, per the Economic Daily News. The minister added that the agreements aim to deepen technological collaboration, explore alternative applications, and shift from testing to purchase.
For advanced air mobility, the economics industry's Industrial Technology Research Institute and SkyDrive will work with 7A Drones on offshore emergency medical transport, said the ministry's Department of Industrial Technology Director-General Kuo Chao-chung (郭肇中). The project targets the Penghu archipelago, with a planned route to address winter ferry suspensions, with service expected after 2028.
7A Drones will collaborate with AlterSky on large logistics drones. AlterSky's extensive operational record with power utilities, civil engineering, and disaster response complements Taiwan's airframe systems.
7A Drones will also integrate with AeroJapan's expansive resource network in wildlife control and talent training, per the Commercial Times. The ministry said this is a milestone as Taiwan's drone industry has matured as a trusted partner capable of providing integrated solutions for the global supply chain.
