Weng Chang-liang: Drone Procurement Budget Cuts May Hinder Taiwan's Drone Development
Chiayi County Magistrate Weng Chang-liang expressed concern that the recent legislative removal of drone development from the defense special act budget could impede Taiwan's drone industry growth and reduce its international competitiveness, affecting mass production and R&D.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 12, 2026 at 15:35
- 🔍 Collected: May 12, 2026 at 16:02 (26 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 14, 2026 at 06:51 (38h 49m after Collected)
Central News Agency
(Central News Agency reporter Cai Zhiming, Chiayi County, May 12) The Legislative Yuan recently passed a discounted version of the National Defense Special Act, excluding plans such as drone development. Chiayi County Magistrate Weng Chang-liang, who is promoting the county's drone industry, believes this may affect the pace of domestic drone development and cause Taiwan's drone development speed to fall behind international standards.
Weng Chang-liang pointed out in his policy report at the Chiayi County Council's regular meeting today that the current industrial development in Chiayi County is supported by two major directions: advanced semiconductor packaging and drones, gradually extending to emerging fields such as artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, and digital services.
Weng Chang-liang noted that the Executive Yuan has invested NT$44.2 billion to promote the "Integrated Plan for Unmanned Vehicle Industry Development," which includes the "Asia Drone AI Innovation Application R&D Center (ARC) Phase 1 and 2 Space Renovation Project" in Chiayi Taibao and the construction of the "Minxiong Aerospace and Drone Industrial Park."
Weng Chang-liang told Central News Agency reporters that although the military procurement budget for drones and other items was cut, it will not change the county government's direction in promoting the drone industry. However, it will affect the pace of domestic drone industry development, including the layout of manufacturers in mass production, automated production lines, technology research and development, and talent cultivation, all of which may be impacted. This is not good for Taiwan to establish an independent supply chain and international competitiveness.
In addition, companies such as Evergreen Aviation, Coretronic, Thunder Tiger Technology, and GeoSat Aeronautics, which have entered the ARC, originally expected to establish scaled production capabilities and international market competitiveness through stable orders. If there is a lack of long-term and stable demand support, it will not only affect manufacturers' investment willingness but also may cause Taiwan's drone industry development speed to fall behind international standards by several years.
Weng Chang-liang pointed out that for the promotion of the "Minxiong Aerospace Industrial Park" development project, the engineering of the eastern campus (Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology campus) is nearing completion, and the general contractor project for the western industrial park was publicly tendered in March. According to the overall development process, the inauguration ceremony for the eastern campus and the groundbreaking ceremony for the western park are scheduled for September.
Furthermore, the ARC will be led by the central government for overall planning in the future, utilizing key technologies and expanding international cooperation space to accelerate the development of drone applications. (Editor: Chang Ya-ching) 1150512
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(Central News Agency reporter Cai Zhiming, Chiayi County, May 12) The Legislative Yuan recently passed a discounted version of the National Defense Special Act, excluding plans such as drone development. Chiayi County Magistrate Weng Chang-liang, who is promoting the county's drone industry, believes this may affect the pace of domestic drone development and cause Taiwan's drone development speed to fall behind international standards.
Weng Chang-liang pointed out in his policy report at the Chiayi County Council's regular meeting today that the current industrial development in Chiayi County is supported by two major directions: advanced semiconductor packaging and drones, gradually extending to emerging fields such as artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, and digital services.
Weng Chang-liang noted that the Executive Yuan has invested NT$44.2 billion to promote the "Integrated Plan for Unmanned Vehicle Industry Development," which includes the "Asia Drone AI Innovation Application R&D Center (ARC) Phase 1 and 2 Space Renovation Project" in Chiayi Taibao and the construction of the "Minxiong Aerospace and Drone Industrial Park."
Weng Chang-liang told Central News Agency reporters that although the military procurement budget for drones and other items was cut, it will not change the county government's direction in promoting the drone industry. However, it will affect the pace of domestic drone industry development, including the layout of manufacturers in mass production, automated production lines, technology research and development, and talent cultivation, all of which may be impacted. This is not good for Taiwan to establish an independent supply chain and international competitiveness.
In addition, companies such as Evergreen Aviation, Coretronic, Thunder Tiger Technology, and GeoSat Aeronautics, which have entered the ARC, originally expected to establish scaled production capabilities and international market competitiveness through stable orders. If there is a lack of long-term and stable demand support, it will not only affect manufacturers' investment willingness but also may cause Taiwan's drone industry development speed to fall behind international standards by several years.
Weng Chang-liang pointed out that for the promotion of the "Minxiong Aerospace Industrial Park" development project, the engineering of the eastern campus (Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology campus) is nearing completion, and the general contractor project for the western industrial park was publicly tendered in March. According to the overall development process, the inauguration ceremony for the eastern campus and the groundbreaking ceremony for the western park are scheduled for September.
Furthermore, the ARC will be led by the central government for overall planning in the future, utilizing key technologies and expanding international cooperation space to accelerate the development of drone applications. (Editor: Chang Ya-ching) 1150512
Choose to stand with facts, every sponsorship you provide is a force for protecting press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency "First-Hand News" APP to stay updated with the latest news.
The text, images, and audio/video on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and used without authorization.