Taiwanese drone companies are looking to deepen ties with Japanese firms to build a supply chain independent of mainland China, Nikkei reported Thursday, citing the head of a cross-industry drone alliance.

Chuang Hsiu-mei, vice president at Aerospace Industrial Development Corp., said the Taiwan Excellence Drone International Business Opportunities Alliance (TEDIBOA) aims to expand globally through technical and strategic cooperation with Japan, the report said.

Formed in September by Taiwan's Economic Affairs Ministry, AIDC, and others, TEDIBOA has signed MOUs with Japanese drone industry groups and participated in Japan Drone 2025, according to the report.

Current collaboration focuses on areas like engines, heat-resistant coatings, and solid-state batteries from Japan, paired with Taiwanese strengths in motors, cameras, and batteries, the report said.

At least three or four Taiwanese firms are already working with Japanese partners, Chuang said. She added that building a China-free supply chain is a step toward economic and information security, especially as Beijing recently imposed export restrictions on Taiwan drone-related firms, according to the report.

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