Diplomacy

Taiwan Launches Global UAV Academy To Strengthen Drone Diplomacy

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By Scott Huang/Tiffany Wong

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Taiwan has launched the Global UAV Academy (GUAVA) as part of its push to become a global hub for drone training, certification and production. At the opening ceremony in Taipei, Vice President Bi-khim Hsiao and Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung highlighted the role drones can play in strengthening national resilience and international cooperation. The initiative aims to build secure, reliable drone supply chains free of Chinese components. The academy also signed new cooperation agreements with partners in Poland, building on earlier deals with organizations in the US and Japan as Taipei expands its global drone network and diplomacy.

Taiwan's Vice President Bi-khim Hsiao and Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung welcome a new era for Taiwan's drone industry.... employing the advanced tech... to play a key role in diplomacy.

LIN CHIA-LUNG, FOREIGN MINISTER:

"Drones represent not only cutting-edge technology; they serve as a shield for Taiwan. They safeguard our democratic freedoms and bolster our defense resilience."

With the opening of the new Global UAV Academy, or GUAVA for short, Taiwan hopes to position itself as a worldwide leader in drone training, certifications and production. One of the key aspects: non-red drone supply chains, which keep Chinese components out, promising better security and reliability.

And some of Taiwan's friends, including nearby diplomatic ally Palau, have already gotten a taste of Taiwan's drone diplomacy, with a recent donation and MOU signing with a local community college.

BI-KHIM HSIAO, TAIWAN VICE PRESIDENT:

"This initiative demonstrates how Taiwan can support global partners. We're not only talking about business transactions, we're talking about building resilience and working with each other."

Academy Chair Hahn-ming Lee signed MOUs for future cooperation with a Polish UAV group and Taiwan's Chung-shan Institute, which develops military drones. It comes after the Academy already signed agreements with drone development groups in the US and Japan.

HAHN-MING LEE, CHAIR GLOBAL UAV ACADEMY:

"Through the three key pillars of international talent training geopolitical research and technical standards we hope to deepen Taiwan's diplomacy with its allies and friendly countries fostering cross-disciplinary global talent and connect industry and academia with R&D resources to help Taiwan become a hub for UAV technology."

As drone technology becomes key to modern defense... Taiwan is trying to show how it can keep supply chains safe... and help like-minded partners put drones to good use.