TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Xponential Europe (2025年歐洲海陸空無人載具及自駕系統產業鏈展) trade show opened at the Düsseldorf Exhibition Center (杜塞道夫展覽中心) on Tuesday (Feb. 18), featuring drone manufacturers from around the world. Fifteen Taiwanese companies are showcasing their communication modules, flight control chips, and optical payloads, with hopes of fostering international technical exchanges.
Hu Kai-hung (胡開宏), chairman of Aerospace Industrial Development Corp. (AIDC, 漢翔航空), emphasized that this is the first time team Taiwan has ventured to expand overseas markets, aiming to showcase Taiwan's technological prowess to the world. Team Taiwan comprises 162 suppliers, categorized into system integrators, system lines, and raw material manufacturers, based on their scale and development.
The Taiwan pavilion features long-endurance drones and counter-drone systems, aiming to engage in technical exchanges and integrate into the international supply chain. Peng Wen-yang (彭文陽), deputy director of the Industrial Technology Research Institute's Mechanical and Mechatronics Systems Research Laboratories, (INTR-MMSL, 工研院機械所) highlighted the future focus on hardware stability and software intelligence in drone development, noting a trend toward diversified applications.
Peng also mentioned that autonomous drone systems enable point-to-point operations, which can include robotic arms and grasping systems, demonstrating a collaborative trend. Hsieh Chih-wei (謝志偉), a Taiwanese representative in Germany, pointed out the decisive role of drones in military applications, as demonstrated by the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and emphasized Taiwan's contributions to international cooperation.
