Taiwan held a ceremony to launch its Global Academy for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (GUAVA) on Friday.
GUAVA Chairman Lee Han-ming said the academy is a private organization with significant flexibility and operational capabilities, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
Through talent development, geopolitical research, technical standards and certification, it aims to connect international resources and help Taiwan take a leading role in the global drone sector, Lee said.
Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung said drone diplomacy is a key strategy to implement the Lai Ching-te administration's policy of developing five viable industries. He added that drones are a “shield” through which Taiwan can protect democracy, freedom and its defense resilience.
The foreign minister said that in October 2025, he established a drone diplomacy working group, which aims to promote international cooperation in Taiwan’s drone industry.
The initiative has received strong recognition and support from international partners. Lin expressed hope that GUAVA will work with the government through public-private partnerships to develop drone diplomacy.
He added that Taiwan should continue to leverage its reliable supply chain independent of China to become a regional hub.
Taiwan Defense Industry Development Association Chairman Wu Ming-wei expressed hope that the government, industry, academia and research institutions will continue to collaborate through public-private partnerships to deepen technological ties with international democratic partners.
He said the best sustainability comes from innovation and requires large-scale serial production capabilities.