New Chiayi drone campus inaugurated
FUTURE FOUNDATION: The campus is meant to integrate research, development and manufacture of uncrewed systems, while plugging them into the private sector
By Lin Yi-chang and William Hetherington / Staff reporter, with staff writer
The National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) yesterday held an opening ceremony for its new campus in Chiayi County’s Minsyong Township (民雄) and a groundbreaking ceremony for the Minsyong Aerospace and Drone Industrial Park (民雄航太暨無人機產業園區).
The opening commemorated the completion of facilities expected to broaden the nation’s capacity to develop, test and manufacture drones, the institute said.
Construction of the Minsyong campus, which includes research and development and manufacturing facilities, began almost three years ago. The industrial park is scheduled to be completed in 2028.
President William Lai, fourth right, attends the Minsyong Aerospace and Drone Industrial Park in Chiayi County’s Minsyong Township yesterday.
Photo: Lin Yi-chang, Taipei Times
The industrial park is expected to accommodate about 100 companies, create 1,200 jobs and generate NT$8 billion (US$251.73 million) in annual output. It is intended to attract drone manufacturers and suppliers, connecting them with the NCSIST’s research, development and manufacturing capabilities at the campus and expanding Chiayi’s drone industry cluster.
The event included a tour of a facility for integrated testing of medium and large drone systems, where President William Lai (賴清德) and other officials were briefed on the nation’s drone research, testing and manufacturing capabilities.
Construction of the 5.12 hectare campus began on Dec. 5, 2023, with an investment of NT$1.11 billion.
Components of uncrewed aerial vehicles are displayed at the National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology’s new drone testing facility in Minxiong, Chiayi County, yesterday.
Photo: REUTERS
The industrial park has received NT$6.859 billion in public infrastructure funding approved by the Executive Yuan. It is to include production facilities, testing equipment, a flight-testing field and research and development space.
Lai said the campus opening shows that national-level research and manufacturing capabilities have taken root in Chiayi, while the industrial park would help spread those technological capabilities to the private sector and move Taiwan’s drone industry toward greater scale.
Chiayi is ripe for evolution from a research and testing base into an important hub for the nation’s drone industry, he said, adding that Taiwan has the capabilities to become an Asian center of the democratic drone supply chain.
Lai praised Weng and the county government for acting rapidly to develop the drone industry, including by repurposing unused school facilities to establish the Asia UAV AI Innovation Research Center (亞洲無人機AI創新應用研發中心) and seeking central government funding.
Lai said the site’s significance has become even more prominent with changes in the international situation.
“From the Ukrainian battlefield to Indo-Pacific regional security, uncrewed systems have become important to combat strength in modern defense,” Lai said. “At the same time, we must deepen cooperation with democratic partners and jointly build a safer and more resilient uncrewed aircraft supply chain, providing solid support for Indo-Pacific regional peace and stability.”
The Ministry of Economic Affairs last year launched a program that would invest NT$44.2 billion through 2030 to strengthen Taiwan’s drone industry and promote its development.
Taiwan’s drone industry output reached NT$12.9 billion last year, more than 2.5 times the previous year’s figure, while more than 267 companies are involved in systems integration and the manufacture of key components, Lai said.
Weng said the NCSIST selected Minsyong in 2019 as the site of an aerospace research and development base.
The county government subsequently repurposed unused facilities at the former National Taiwan Sport University campus in Taibao to establish a drone research center, he said.
While talking about how the Asia UAV AI Innovation Research Center was inaugurated in August 2022, Weng said Chiayi’s drone industry is gradually taking shape, with research, development and testing in Taibao complemented by research, manufacturing and an industrial cluster in Minsyong.
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