Taiwan opens drone R&D center

The facility in Puzi City to develop defensive technologies

Taiwan has opened a new research and development center tasked with developing drone technology.

The government-run facility was opened by President Tsai Ing-wen earlier this month.

Officially titled the Asia UAV AI Innovation Application R&D Center, its research will focus on drone deployments for defense capabilities.

Based in Puzi City, the site will house offices from some 20 drone developers as well as a testing site, a drone operator licensing facility and a national arena for drone-related competitions.

In an editorial in the Taipei Times, Chang Ling-ling, a Taiwanese military instructor at the National Defense University, wrote that the center “should cooperate with the national defense industry to promote the research and development of advanced military drones and an anti-drone defense system.”

“This would boost the military’s asymmetric combat capabilities, and Taiwan’s autonomous defense capabilities.”

Ling-ling's comments come after China took part in military drills in the South China Sea off the coast of Taiwan in retaliation to a visit from U.S. Senate majority leader Nancy Pelosi.

China claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory. Taiwan disputes China's sovereignty claims.