Taiwan to fund 7 drone tech development projects

台灣將資助7個無人機技術開發項目

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of Economic Affairs will allocate NT$326 million (US$10.1 million) to subsidize seven R&D projects proposed by domestic companies for drone-related chips and modules.

The ministry received 17 applications from domestic firms for drone R&D project subsidies this year. It noted that most of the selected projects focus on developing image processing chips integrated with AI-powered systems and flight control boards, which are expected to strengthen the domestic drone component supply chain, per CNA.

The selected drone technologies will be prioritized for use in public safety and defense sectors to reduce Taiwan's reliance on Chinese-made drones, the ministry said. The projects are expected to generate an output value of NT$1 billion within three years.

One of the funded projects is led by AzureWave Technologies and Taiwan Hope Innovations, which are jointly developing an AI-powered imaging module for drones. Targeted for disaster prevention and logistics applications, the module is built on MediaTek's Genio 720 chip, a 6nm processor featuring high computing performance and a built-in neural processing unit (NPU) to accelerate AI and machine learning tasks.

Another project involves a drone obstacle avoidance system and an AI-driven imaging chip for high-resolution aerial photography, co-developed by Coretronic Corp. and iCatch Technology. The chip uses a 6nm process and integrates an NPU and a GPU, supporting 8K video recording. The chip’s enhanced AI performance enables omnidirectional obstacle avoidance.

Accton Technology was selected for its work on UAV controllers designed to improve anti-interference capabilities and support use in various operating environments. In another project chosen, ORing Industrial Networking and HiDes Technologies are jointly developing a long-range flight control system capable of maintaining communication over 300 km.

Easy Field Corp. is also among the selected companies, with a project focused on building a flight control and vehicle testing platform. The company said the system, which centers on a controller compatible with most major global development software, will improve stability and help local flight control products reach international markets.