Taiwan is being pushed to turn its hardware strength into a global lead in AI-powered drones and robots, a potential win for its tech industry and a hedge against relying on Chinese supply chains.

• Advisers to Taiwan's Industrial Technology Research Institute laid out a four-part plan covering talent, markets, rules, and technology.
• The goal is to make Taiwan a trusted exporter of AI drones and robots as the machines shift from remote control to making their own decisions and flying in groups.
• On markets, the advice is to target gaps in Europe and the US and stay outside China-linked supply chains, with state-owned firms like CPC, Taipower, and the ports authority acting as first customers and test sites.
• Rules on flying drones beyond the pilot's line of sight are holding back commercial use, so the call is to loosen them and open more testing grounds at home before going abroad.
• Shared standards and open frameworks are urged so AI software plugs into different hardware easily, along with government-funded computing power for companies and universities to share.

Outlook: Expect Taiwan to widen its drone alliance and push regulators for looser flight rules as it chases Western buyers looking for non-Chinese suppliers.