TMTS Roadshow Aerospace Application Exchange Day: Linking Machine Tools and Drones to Launch a New Landscape of Cross-Domain Cooperation
The Taiwan Machine Tool & Accessory Builders' Association (TMBA) and the German Trade Office (AHK Taiwan) jointly hosted the "TMTS Roadshow Aerospace Application Exchange Day" on November 27 at the Asia UAV AI Innovation Application R&D Center. This event attracted more than 90 industry leaders from the fields of aerospace, defense, smart manufacturing, drones, and machine tools. A total of 14 manufacturers exhibited on-site, including five machine tool companies, three German companies, and six drone companies, demonstrating the cross-domain capabilities of Taiwan's machinery industry in high-end application fields. This exchange day is one of three events in the TMTS Roadshow series; the first two were held in Taichung on November 7 and Chiayi on November 27, while the final session is scheduled for March 13 next year in Taoyuan, continuing to build supply chain integration momentum for TMTS 2026.
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Structural Growth in the Drone Market: Taiwan Manufacturing Plays a Key Role
Max Lo, Chairman of the Asia UAV Innovation Center Vendor Association and Chairman of GEOSAT Aerospace & Technology, delivered a keynote titled "From Pain Points to Breakthroughs," providing an in-depth analysis of the shifting global landscape in drone and defense technology. According to his observations, military drones accounted for about 50% of the drone market in 2024, but by 2027, the civilian and commercial markets will officially surpass the military sector. The overall market scale is expected to reach 90 to 100 billion USD by 2030, representing a long-term structural growth market.
Geopolitics has also accelerated the rise of unmanned combat capabilities. The Russia-Ukraine war has proven that "low-cost, mass-deployed, and expendable" drones and loitering munitions have become mainstream on the battlefield, and nations are investing heavily in building autonomous systems and AI swarm capabilities. The European Union has even proposed the "Drone Wall" concept, emphasizing the need for integrated systems for reconnaissance, defense, and countermeasures.
Max Lo pointed out that Taiwan possesses clear advantages in this trend, including mature machine tool and precision processing capabilities, flexible supply chains, expertise in composite materials, and the increasingly complete drone manufacturing and testing base in Chiayi. If Taiwan can successfully integrate key components such as spindles, gimbals, transmission systems, composite structures, and precision measurement while establishing a "trusted supply chain," it will have the opportunity to become a southern supply hub for the EU and NATO in Asia.
Laser Technology Advances the Precision Revolution in Aerospace and Drone Manufacturing
Ken Huang, Regional Sales Manager of TRUMPF Taiwan, shared that as a global leader in laser technology, TRUMPF is not only deeply rooted in electronics, automotive, and electric vehicle manufacturing but also holds key technical benchmarks for laser applications in the aerospace and space industries. These applications include engine blade cooling holes, combustion chamber structures, internal complex channel processing, and the additive manufacturing and repair of titanium alloys and nickel-based superalloys.
The advantages of laser processing—being non-contact, offering high precision, and having a low heat-affected zone—are particularly suitable for high-value and sensitive materials. For drone and aerospace products, the increasing proportion of lightweight materials, composites, and high-strength metals highlights the importance of laser cleaning, welding, and additive repair, which can simultaneously extend part life and meet high-value, rapid maintenance needs.
Ken Huang further noted that as Taiwan's machine tool industry transitions into high-end aerospace and drone applications, it must prioritize the integration of "machine tools + lasers," such as hybrid processing equipment and 3D structural part cutting machines, to secure a higher-tier position in the international supply chain.
Asia Pacific Elite Demonstrates the Strength of Taiwan's Machine Tool Chain in Aerospace Manufacturing
Steve Chang, Vice President of Asia Pacific Elite (APEX), shared the company's long-term achievements in the international aerospace processing sector. APEX has an annual revenue of approximately 1.1 to 1.2 billion TWD, 90% of which is derived from the aviation industry, making it one of the few Taiwanese companies that relies primarily on aerospace structural parts and engine component processing.
The company specializes in large-scale, thin-walled, and high-removal-rate processing, such as wing stringers and wing structural components. A common example involves machining a 100 kg blank into a 3 kg finished product, representing a removal rate as high as 97%. More importantly, APEX possesses the capability to design specialized machine models, fixtures, and full-line turnkey solutions. It has successfully assisted international customers in the mass production of 20-meter-class aerospace wing spars, and its equipment has been exported to South Korea for the production of the A320 and other aircraft models.
Steve Chang believes that Taiwan's machine tool and aerospace supply chains have reached international standards and can provide complete solutions rather than just manufacturing hardware. Faced with emerging defense and drone demands, if the Taiwanese machinery industry can leverage its accumulated experience in difficult-to-cut material processing and system integration, it will be able to quickly penetrate the field of high-end manufacturing.
Industry, Government, Academia, and Research Promote Cross-Domain Cooperation to Pave the Way for TMTS 2026
Many heavyweight guests attended this exchange event, including representatives from the Economic Development Department of the Chiayi County Government, the German Trade Office, Air Asia, AIDC, Coretronic Intelligent Robotics, and the Precision Machinery Research & Development Center (PMC), collectively promoting cross-domain cooperation.
The three TMTS Roadshow events will continue to connect application-side needs with the supply chain, leading toward TMTS 2026, which will be held at the Taichung International Convention and Exhibition Center (TICEC) in March next year. Under the theme "AI-Powered · Sustainable Manufacturing," the exhibition will showcase the latest achievements of Taiwan's machine tool industry in fields such as AI, smart manufacturing, aerospace processing, and drone applications, opening new opportunities for international cooperation for Taiwan's machinery industry.
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