Ukraine war: German drone companies seek partners in Taiwan

Flight to Taiwan German Drone Scene Seeks Partners in Taiwan

2026-04-30 Source: dpa 1 min Reading Time

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The war in Ukraine and its course are giving German drone manufacturers the idea of cooperating more closely with Taiwanese companies, according to dpa.

Due to the threat posed by China, Taiwan is turning to drones for armaments. The picture shows an example of this. German drone manufacturers are now increasingly seeking contact with partners on the "potato island".(Source: Taiwan Drones) — Due to the threat posed by China, Taiwan is turning to drones for armaments. The picture shows an example of this. German drone manufacturers are now increasingly seeking contact with partners on the "potato island".
(Source: Taiwan Drones)

Taiwan is a major exporter of drones for the European market. At least that is what Linda Blechert, Managing Director of the service unit of the German economic office in Taipei, says about the drone market there. In the first quarter, exports in this robotics sector are said to have reached a value of 115.85 million dollars (around 99 million euros). That is more than the total for the whole of 2025. And according to Blechert, at least a dozen German drone companies are planning to visit Taiwan at the beginning of May to explore opportunities for cooperation. The topic of supply chains outside of China is clearly becoming increasingly important.

Germany lags behind Taiwan when it comes to drones

Germany is traditionally strong in conventional armaments construction. But with the emergence of warfare with drones, it is now apparent that Germany may be lagging behind somewhat in terms of the necessary capabilities - especially in view of the war in Ukraine, in which drones played a major role. In view of this, Blechert says that Germany is definitely open to learning from Taiwan. According to the interest group, Germany's drone experts are particularly strong in the field of software. This is an opportunity for cooperation with Taiwanese manufacturers. And in terms of trade relations, Taiwan's exports to Germany grew particularly strongly in the first quarter of 2026. They reached 2.12 billion dollars (an increase of 28.3 percent compared to the previous year). The trade volume rose by 5.8% (to 5.2 billion dollars).

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