The 2026 Europe Taiwan Expo, hosted by Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs, opened with great fanfare in Warsaw on June 22, marking a new stage in Taiwan’s efforts to deepen its engagement with Europe, RTI News reported.
Taiwan’s Foreign Minister, Lin Chia-lung, stated that economic dependence has increasingly become a tool used by authoritarian states to exert coercion. As a result, building “non-red” supply chains—that is, supply chains less dependent on China—has become an important shared objective among democratic partners.
He said the Taiwan Expo demonstrates Taiwan’s determination to become an important partner for Europe through industrial cooperation.
Drones emerged as one of the exhibition’s biggest attractions, drawing 110 buyers.
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Demonstrating Taiwan’s commitment to being an important European partner
According to a press release issued by Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs on June 22, the expo attracted representatives from the European Union, Poland, Ukraine, and various industries.
Attendees included officials from the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG GROW), Poland’s Ministry of Economic Development and Technology, Ministry of Digital Affairs, Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy, Ministry of Climate and Environment, the Polish Investment and Trade Agency (PAIH), and the Investment Office of the Lviv City Government in Ukraine, among other key institutions. Their participation underscored a new milestone in Taiwan-Europe cooperation.
Taiwan’s Minister of Economic Affairs, Kuo Jyh-huei, delivered a pre-recorded welcome message as host of the event. He expressed Taiwan’s hope of working closely with Poland and other European partners—from research and design to manufacturing and practical applications—to build a more resilient, mutually beneficial local industrial ecosystem.
He noted that the expo serves as a platform for businesses from both sides to establish meaningful connections and create new commercial opportunities. Taiwan also plans to broaden participation by inviting partners from the EU, Japan, and Ukraine, transforming the expo from a traditionally bilateral exchange into a broader and more diverse framework for multilateral cooperation.
Vice Minister of Economic Affairs Jiang Wen-jo attended the Europe Taiwan Expo as the representative of Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs. Jiang stated that this year’s decision to hold the event in Warsaw was made because Poland has demonstrated strong economic resilience and promising growth prospects, Taiwan News reported. As the world enters a new era of artificial intelligence, cooperation between the two sides will combine Taiwan’s technological strengths with Poland’s local advantages. He said this represents not only a major step forward in Taiwan–Poland economic and trade relations, but also a key milestone in Taiwan’s broader strategy of deepening its presence in the European market.
Taiwan’s Foreign Minister, Lin Chia-lung, was invited to attend the 2026 Europe Taiwan Expo. In his speech, he said that the world is undergoing the most profound transformation since the end of World War II. In particular, he argued that the Russian invasion of Ukraine served as a wake-up call for democratic nations around the world.
According to Lin, the long-held belief that economic interdependence would inevitably bring security guarantees has been completely shattered. Instead, economic dependence has become a tool through which authoritarian states can exert pressure and coercion. Therefore, he said, building “non-red supply chains”—supply chains based on trust and shared democratic values rather than reliance on China—has become an important common objective for democratic partners.
The remarks reflect Taiwan’s broader effort to promote supply-chain diversification and strengthen economic cooperation with Europe amid growing geopolitical and security concerns.
Lin Chia-lung further noted that this Taiwan Expo is not merely a platform for commercial exchange. Rather, it demonstrates Taiwan’s determination to become an important partner for Europe through industrial cooperation at a critical moment when Europe is pursuing both reindustrialization and rearmament.
Also attending the opening ceremony was Michał Jaros, Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Technology of Poland. Echoing Lin’s remarks, Jaros stated that in the face of rising geopolitical risks, establishing supply chains that are free, fair, and grounded in democratic values is no longer simply an option—it has become a necessity.
Drones become the star attraction, drawing 110 buyers
The Taiwan Expo featured eight major exhibition zones, covering sectors such as semiconductors, smart manufacturing, information and communications technology (ICT), and smart energy. The event attracted buyers from 46 countries, with more than 3,000 visitors attending.
Taiwan’s trade promotion organization, the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA), led more than 100 Taiwanese companies in staging the first-ever Taiwan Expo in Warsaw.
According to a report by Liberty Times, Europe’s push for greater defense autonomy has sharply increased demand for drones. As a result, the Drone Pavilion, organized by 16 Taiwanese companies including Thunder Tiger Group and Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC), became the exhibition’s biggest highlight.
Buyers from various countries showed what organizers described as an “unprecedented” level of interest in Taiwanese drone technology. More than 600 business meetings were expected to take place, involving as many as 110 European buyers. The largest group of buyers came from Poland, followed by Ukraine and the Netherlands, with participants also arriving from France, Italy, Spain, and Lithuania.
TAITRA Chairman James C. F. Huang estimated that the 2026 Europe Taiwan Expo could generate more than US $50 million in business opportunities, surpassing the results achieved at the previous Taiwan Expo held in Berlin.
