Written by Andie Wang.
Image credit: 臺灣太空世代-Taiwan Space Generation/ Facebook.
Paper 2: Taiwan’s International Space Partnerships and Talent Development
Introduction
As Taiwan establishes stronger foundations for its space sector through enhanced inter-agency collaboration and industrial development, attention must turn to the forward-looking elements that will drive long-term success: international partnerships and talent development. This paper examines these two critical aspects of Taiwan’s space ambitions, analysing both current initiatives and future opportunities.
International partnerships represent a vital avenue for Taiwan to access advanced technologies, expand market opportunities, and contribute to global space exploration efforts, enabling the country to leverage its technological strengths in emerging domains. Complementing these international initiatives is Taiwan’s growing focus on developing multidisciplinary talent through programmes like the Taiwan Young Space Professionals Program (TYSPP) and organisations such as Taiwan Space Generation (TSG). This paper argues that through strategic partnership development and systematic talent incubation mechanisms, Taiwan can become a more established space power and a significant contributor to the global space ecosystem.
Beyond the Horizon: Expanding Taiwan’s Space Vision and International Partnerships
Taiwan’s advancement in the global space economy necessitates a forward-thinking approach to space exploration and strategic partnerships. The Taiwan Space Union (TSU), a cross-university alliance supported by the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC), plays a pivotal role in shaping the nation’s long-term space vision through academic expertise. Its developing Decadal Survey White Paper promises to provide strategic guidance for entrepreneurs, researchers, and policymakers in aligning future initiatives with Taiwan’s evolving space strategy. This intelligence can be further linked with the TAcc+ discussion panel mentioned in the previous sections and a better vision from the academia and industry end.
Deeper international collaboration is another key to advanced technology, market opportunities, and future strategic focus. Notable partnerships include Taiwan Space Agency (TASA)’s longstanding collaboration with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) through the COSMIC-2/FORMOSAT-7 satellite constellation, cooperation with the UK’s Satellite Applications Catapult on ecosystem mapping, Ministry of Digital Affairs (MODA) and Eutelsat OneWeb collaboration on LEO communication, and TASA agreements with Japanese companies ispace and ArkEdge Space on lunar exploration and Earth observation. Additional space or broader science partnerships with France, the Czech Republic, Poland, and Paraguay further diversify Taiwan’s international space engagement.
The Taiwanese space community should leverage these valuable partnerships and expand collaboration from existing collaboration into emerging areas. Efforts that leverage Taiwan’s existing strengths and needs in fields such as semiconductors, electronics manufacturing, the Internet of Things (IoT), uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs), national resilience, and scientific research will be especially beneficial.
The growth of the satellite Internet of Things and edge computing, as well as the fusion of satellite data with artificial intelligence, is of enormous potential. This includes applications to maritime domain awareness (MDA), such as dark ship identification as it pertains to maritime interdiction for securing Taiwan’s submarine cable network, as well as fishery prediction and coordination to support Taiwan’s large high-seas fishing fleet. UAVs can also be a beneficial tool in supporting remote sensing data collection, Non-terrestrial networks (NTN) communications, operational automation and resilience building. Taiwan already has several initiatives driven by the government to support civil and military UAV development, one of which is led by the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) with cross-agency support from NSTC, the Ministry of National Defense (MND), and the National Chung Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST). The task force selected nine companies in UAV development in 2022 and 4 for Uncrewed Aerial System (UAS) in 2023.
Cybersecurity development in Taiwan is a rapidly evolving field, driven by the country’s strategic position as a global technology leader and its exposure to significant cyber threats. Hardware vendors, the government/military sector, and manufacturing are among the ones most attacked. With space data, space assets and cybersecurity becoming inseparable, Taiwan must excel in this domain to protect itself.
Meanwhile, In-Space Assembly and Manufacturing (ISAM) presents a transformative opportunity that aligns with Taiwan’s manufacturing strengths. The development of ISAM capabilities requires expertise in robotics, materials science, and precision control systems—areas where Taiwan’s industrial base excels. Applications to semiconductor material production in microgravity are also of interest, given Taiwan’s longstanding experience and prominence in semiconductor manufacturing. Some recent outreach efforts to Taiwan’s semiconductor in this regard have been made by Axiom Space, which is one of the leading commercial space station and microgravity experiment providers in the US commercial space sector. Space sustainability represents a critical frontier where Taiwan can make significant contributions. The country’s expertise in precision manufacturing and environmental monitoring positions it well to develop technologies for space debris tracking and mitigation.
Deep space is another rising area that can contribute to advanced scientific understanding, technological innovation, and potential spin-offs for technology adoption on Earth. Taiwan has been looking into the area, but there can be more related initiatives. National Central University (NCU) delivered Taiwan’s first lunar mission, Deep Space Radiation Probe (DSRP), designed to measure ionising radiation between Earth and the Moon to understand support radiation effects on electronics and support future crewed missions. As ispace’s first university lunar payload service customer, the DSRP project goes beyond a scientific mission but highlights the example of cross-sector, cross-border collaboration. TASA also supported four deep-space payload and lander development, in collaboration with universities and industries. With the growth of extraterrestrial networks and the IoT to support lunar and planetary exploration through international standards such as LunaNet, the growth in need for deep space infrastructure is of interest to existing Taiwan electronics and IoT solution providers.
Empowering the Future: Fostering Next-Generation Space Leadership
Beyond engineering expertise, Taiwan’s space sector must nurture professionals with capabilities in space policy, business strategy, and data science. This interdisciplinary approach becomes increasingly critical as space commercialisation expands, requiring a workforce that can integrate space technology into commercial applications and national resilience strategies.
In 2022, TASA launched the Taiwan Young Space Professionals Program (TYSPP) to bring together interdisciplinary young space enthusiasts from across Taiwan. The annual programme aims to foster a comprehensive understanding of Taiwan’s space development while encouraging participants to brainstorm its future possibilities.
Taiwan Space Generation (TSG), a youth-led NGO, exemplifies the country’s commitment to cross-sectoral engagement and global collaboration. With its founding members coming from TYSPP, TSG connects young Taiwanese professionals across engineering, policy, and business sectors, providing opportunities for international networking and industry exposure. TSG serves as a Taiwan-based hub for aspiring space enthusiasts connecting globally and also hopes youth now outside Taiwan to be more connected with the Taiwanese space community.
The organisation’s success in facilitating membership in the Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC) in 2024 has opened new avenues for global engagement, as local youth now can be part of its membership under the membership of “Chinese Taipei”, as opposed to being subsumed under “China” as in the past. With SGAC’s 25-year global network and its collaborative partnership with the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) in supporting young professionals in the space sector, joining SGAC offers access to a broader realm of global space engagement and opportunities.
TSG also offers internal training to help talent equip diverse space-related skills and literacy for versatile space development and international exposure opportunities to help Taiwanese youth become internationally ready. TSG members have participated in key events, including the International Astronautical Congress (IAC), Space Symposium (SS), Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum (APRSAF), and more, to advocate for Taiwan’s space development and youth participation.
Taiwan’s youth-driven space technology initiatives have also gained international recognition and demonstrate the promising future Taiwanese space talent holds. The Sight CubeSat team from NCU successfully designed and built the SIGHT student CubeSat in 2023, travelling to Brazil to participate in the Latin American Space Challenge (LASC), becoming the first Taiwanese team to compete in the event. Meanwhile, members of Advanced Rocket Research Center (ARRC), an autonomous sounding rocket research organisation established at National Yang-Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU), participated in the Capture the Satellite Challenge at the AIAA SciTech Forum, securing third place among 34 competing teams. National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) Gemini Space Team achieved global 8th place and ranked 1st in Asia in the 2024 CanSat Competition, marking the first time a Taiwanese team has competed in the competition in its 20-year history.
The role of civil and academic groups in establishing international networks, pathfinder partnerships, and Track 1.5 diplomacy is crucial to advocating for Taiwan’s space advancement through diverse channels. Combined with outreach from the commercial and governmental sectors, Taiwan can present itself as a dynamic and multifaceted economy with strong potential.
To build on this momentum, Taiwan must institutionalise support mechanisms, including scholarships, fellowships, research grants, and industry internships. By fostering young leaders with global perspectives and diverse expertise, Taiwan is positioning itself as an active contributor to global space exploration efforts. The continued development of comprehensive support systems for next-generation space talent will be crucial in driving Taiwan’s long-term space ambitions and ensuring its sustained contribution to the international space community.
Taiwan stands at a transformative moment in its space journey, with significant opportunities to leverage its technological strengths while building new capabilities across the value chain. This paper has examined how Taiwan’s development of international partnerships and next-generation talent represents essential components of its evolving space strategy. By continuing its international partnership on existing and emerging domains, Taiwan can leverage its capability and position itself in strategic areas to the global space community. In parallel, Taiwan’s talent incubation initiatives and vibrant youth engagement demonstrate the energy and possibilities of multidisciplinary space professionals carrying the torch for future space development. The combination of international collaboration and talent development, alongside enhanced governance and industrial foundations discussed in our companion paper, pictures the promising future Taiwan can head toward that will establish Taiwan as a significant contributor to the global space community in the decades ahead.
Andie Wang is the President of Taiwan Space Generation (TSG), a youth-led NGO dedicated to empowering Taiwanese space professionals in the global space community. TSG equips the next generation of Taiwanese space leaders with interdisciplinary skillsets and advances Taiwan’s role internationally through collaboration and innovation. With a background in political economy, science diplomacy, and public relations, Andie’s research interests include space sustainability and public-private partnerships, exploring how international cooperation fosters responsible space development. The views expressed are her own.
This article was published as part of a special issue on ‘Taiwan’s Space Legacy: From Oddity to Opportunity’.
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