Taiwan's Excellence Drone International Business Opportunities Alliance has expanded to more than 260 member companies as it steps up efforts to capture overseas demand, with securing US regulatory clearance emerging as its top priority for 2026.
The alliance, known as TEDIBOA, held its first general assembly on January 22, 2026, reviewing progress since its formation and outlining its industry outlook through 2027. The group said its near-term focus is to help Taiwanese drone manufacturers obtain US certification, a prerequisite for exporting products to the American market.
US certification emerges as key hurdle
Tsao Chin-pin, chairman of the alliance and chairman of Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation, said current conditions present the strongest opportunity yet for Taiwan's drone industry. He said the alliance will represent the sector in international negotiations and seek government-to-government orders to convert policy alignment into concrete commercial opportunities.
Under new rules from the US Federal Communications Commission, drone products must pass Green or Blue UAS certification by 2026 to avoid regulatory restrictions. The alliance said assisting member companies in meeting those requirements is its foremost objective for the year.
Two-track approach with ITRI
To address the certification challenge, the alliance and the Industrial Technology Research Institute have set out two main strategies. The first involves establishing authorized channels to introduce US certification mechanisms, with a target to formally bring them into Taiwan by the end of January 2026 to speed alignment with international standards.
The second replaces subsidies with guided support. The alliance said this approach can materially reduce the overall cost for companies seeking certification while lowering the risk of being deemed to engage in dumping or unfair competition by US authorities.
On market development, the alliance said it spent 2025 raising the international visibility of Taiwanese drone brands and building multiple cooperation channels. It has formed alliances with 11 drone organizations across seven countries, spanning Europe, the Americas, and Asia.
That effort will continue this year. The alliance plans to lead delegations to Singapore, South Korea, and Malaysia to take part in international industry events and promote Taiwanese drone technologies and products.
Building a non-China supply chain
The alliance said non-China supply chains have increasingly become a prerequisite for access to international markets. It has compiled and verified the capabilities of participating companies, covering complete systems, modules, and components, to link upstream, midstream, and downstream segments of the industry.
Tsao said the goal is to integrate Taiwan's industrial strengths and turn previously fragmented technologies into internationally competitive offerings, highlighting the advantages of Taiwan's de-risked, non-China drone supply chain on the global stage.
Article translated by Sherri Wang and edited by Jerry Chen
