Lu Shiow-yen seeks fair drone budget and airspace for Taichung

Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen is calling on the central government to ensure fair distribution of the 63.4 billion TWD drone-related budget passed by the Legislative Yuan. Lu emphasized that the drone industry clusters in Taichung and surrounding central Taiwan counties require adequate resources to thrive.

In addition to funding, Lu is advocating for the opening of airspace in central Taiwan to allow for drone testing and verification. Currently, manufacturers in the region must transport products to southern Taiwan for flight tests, which increases costs and reduces R&D efficiency. She argues that establishing local testing sites would create a more complete industrial ecosystem.

However, members of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in the Taichung City Council have criticized the administration, claiming the city government has offered only slogans without concrete supporting measures or specific budget tracking for drone industry development.