Taiwan is courting local companies to get into military drone and ocean-defense technology, a move aimed at strengthening the island's security as it faces growing pressure at sea.

• Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim toured an unmanned ocean vehicle demonstration in Tainan, part of a larger maritime tech and drone expo running this week with dozens of Taiwanese and international exhibitors, including U.S. groups.
• She framed the push as part of President Lai Ching-te's broader defense and AI technology agenda, tying ocean drones to Taiwan's "trusted industries" strategy and new robotics investment plans.
• The message: peace depends on strength, and strength depends on both defense resilience and closer cooperation with international partners, especially as Taiwan deals with ongoing gray-zone harassment at sea.
• Officials want unmanned systems to move from testing to actual deployment, and from single products to cross-border industry alliances, with private companies expected to supply much of that effort.
• Tainan's city government is positioning the area as a robotics R&D hub, pointing to favorable coastal conditions for testing these vehicles.

Outlook: Expect continued government-industry coordination events like this as Taiwan builds out its drone and maritime defense capabilities amid persistent tension with China.