By Eryk Michael Smith/Staff. AI illustration image.
KAOHSIUNG — City Government spokesperson Fu Wei-ling (符瑋玲) has urged lawmakers to support funding for domestically produced drones and unmanned boats, arguing that the emerging sector could create new opportunities for the city’s traditional industries.
Central government infrastructure plans currently place the main manufacturing ecosystem in Chiayi, where the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (國家中山科學研究院) is developing an aerospace park in Minxiong Township (民雄鄉) slated to house up to 100 drone companies. Tainan has been designated to host innovation laboratories in the Shalun (沙崙) and Liujia (六甲) areas.
Her comments come ahead of a July 16 joint meeting of the Legislative Yuan’s (立法院) Economics, Foreign and National Defense, and Finance committees, which will consider four proposed laws covering uncrewed vehicle development and procurement.
The four versions were submitted by the Executive Yuan (行政院), DPP Legislator Lin Chu-yin (林楚茵), and groups from the Taiwan People’s Party (台灣民眾黨) and Kuomintang (中國國民黨).
Fu said Kaohsiung’s steel, petrochemical, and fastener industries face pressure from low-priced Chinese exports and changing international tariffs.
She argued that government purchases of drones and unmanned boats could give local metalworking and manufacturing companies a route into higher-value defense and aerospace supply chains.
The city described the sector as a possible new pillar of Taiwan’s economy and urged Kaohsiung lawmakers to support the necessary legislation and funding.
The Executive Yuan proposal would authorize spending of up to NT$210 billion from August 2026 through the end of 2031.
Planned purchases include coastal surveillance drones, coastal attack drones, and small unmanned attack boats, according to the Executive Yuan. The government says the program would also support domestic production of batteries, sensors, communications equipment, AI systems, software, and maintenance services.
The administration introduced the separate proposal after drones and unmanned boats were excluded from the defense procurement legislation passed by the legislature in May.
The competing bills differ over funding mechanisms, oversight, and which government agency should take the leading role.
Kaohsiung is not currently Taiwan’s main drone manufacturing center. Chiayi County has emerged as a major base for research, testing, and planned industrial development.
However, city officials argue that Kaohsiung’s established heavy-industry supply chains could still produce components and provide engineering, software, testing, and maintenance services for the wider national program.
