Taiwan is betting big on drones as a strategic industry, and early trade numbers suggest the push is working — good news for Taiwanese manufacturers and for democracies looking to buy outside China.

• Taiwan's drone exports so far this year are already more than double last year's total, after last year's exports jumped 21 times over the year before.
• The pitch is simple: buyers want an alternative to Chinese-made drones, and Taiwan is positioning itself as the trusted supplier.
• The government has put forward a six-year, NT$44.2 billion plan backing both commercial and military drone production.
• Taichung is being groomed as the hub, with a proposed smart manufacturing center for unmanned vehicles built on its existing chip, aerospace, and machinery base.
• Officials frame homegrown drone capacity as defense insurance — the ability to build them locally if Taiwan is ever threatened.

Outlook: Expect more state money and political attention on drones as Taiwan's mayoral races heat up, with Taichung the focal point of the buildout.