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Under the looming threat of war, countries across Europe are bolstering their drone capabilities. As China imposes restrictions on exporting drones and components, Europe and Ukraine have started looking for alternative sources—turning their attention to Taiwan.
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The top export market for Taiwanese-made drones this year is Poland, with export volume climbing nearly tenfold over 2024. Many of these drones ultimately end up on the front lines in Ukraine. More and more European vendors are coming to Taiwan in search of components, with particular interest in motors, batteries, and optical systems.
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Some Taiwanese firms have begun investing locally in Europe. For example, Farada Group plans to establish a joint venture plant in Lithuania, which would become Europe’s largest drone motor production base. Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs has also launched the Taiwan Excellence Drone International Business Opportunities Alliance (TEDIBOA) to promote cooperation with countries such as Poland and Estonia.
However, industry insiders caution that Europe views drones as a strategic industry and prefers autonomous supply chains. “Joint ventures are only the first step,” one source warned, “and the risk of having shares removed and technology retained in Europe after a few years is high.
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In the long run, Taiwan-Europe security cooperation will extend beyond drones. From Russia’s hybrid warfare to information warfare, Europe increasingly values Taiwan’s experience in countering gray-zone threats. As Shieh Jhy-wey humorously put it, “China can punish; Taiwan can help.”
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A related report says that Taiwan is to launch ‘drone diplomacy’ initiative to aid allies.
[...] The first phase will focus on supplying Taiwan’s diplomatic allies through drone donations to be used in agriculture, logistics, disaster prevention, coast guard, health care and infrastructure surveillance, he said.
The second phase will target like-minded international partners in the Asia-Pacific region such as Japan and the Philippines, Chiang said, adding that supply will include unmanned surface vessels, drones and underwater drones.
In addition, Taiwan will supply Central and Eastern European countries threatened by Russia, including Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic and Germany.
“This demand will focus on military use, especially for the land and battlefield under the threat of Russia,” he said.
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