The US-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference 2023 will be held October 1-3, 2023 at the Williamsburg Lodge in Williamsburg, Virginia. This event will be held in person only. This will be the 22nd annual event in a series of ongoing conferences addressing the future of U.S. defense cooperation with Taiwan, the defense procurement process, and Taiwan’s defense and national security needs.
The US-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference 2022 will be held October 2-4, 2022 at the OMNI Richmond Hotel in Richmond, Virginia. This event will be held in person only. This will be the 21st annual event in a series of ongoing conferences addressing the future of U.S. defense cooperation with Taiwan, the defense procurement process, and Taiwan’s defense and national security needs.
The conference will open with a discussion on the evolving threat in the Taiwan Strait. The first session will examine the threat to Taiwan in light of the Russia-Ukraine war, and discuss any potential lessons that could be learned by China, Taiwan, and the United States.
The second session will consider the growth and evolution of Taiwan’s strategic thinking, to improve U.S. industry understanding of the current trajectory for Taiwan defense planning in the short, medium, and long term. The third session will discuss non-traditional engagement efforts between the U.S. and Taiwan – training, logistics, sustainment, industrial cooperation, etc. – with a particular focus on industry collaboration and how such undertakings can support both Taiwan and U.S. national security goals.
The fourth session will focus on deterrence and resilience, discussing Phase Zero activities and measures that could help improve Taiwan’s defensive posture, and panelists will discuss ways that bilateral cooperation could help improve deterrence and build Taiwan’s resilience. The fifth and final session will continue the discussion on deterrence and resilience, taking a regional approach to a potential conflict in the Taiwan Strait by examining the role that other U.S. partners and allies such as Japan and Australia could play in ongoing deterrence efforts.
The US-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference 2021 will be held October 10-12, 2021 at the Lansdowne Resort in Leesburg, Virginia. We are currently planning to host this event in person. This will be the 20th annual event in a series of ongoing conferences addressing the future of U.S. defense cooperation with Taiwan, the defense procurement process, and Taiwan’s defense and national security needs.
This year, the conference will open with a discussion on the evolving threat in the Taiwan Strait. The opening session will examine how the threat picture for Taiwan is changing, given that the PRC is intensifying its threat posture towards Taiwan and intensifying its incursions into the Taiwan Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ). We will also discuss how Taiwan, the U.S., and their regional allies could potentially respond.
The second session will examine the big picture of Taiwan’s overarching defense strategy. As the overarching approach drives both policy and acquisitions, this session will discuss current strategic thinking in Taiwan. We will also consider the U.S. view of that approach, and how reconciling differences could provide insights into areas ripe for further development and cooperation. The third session will discuss national security as a whole-of-society approach, including ways to enhance supply chain security, how to leverage public/private partnerships to support defensive priorities, and how civic defense and civic mobilization could help Taiwan enhance deterrence and improve resilience.
The fourth session will consider how the two sides are continuing to explore ways to deepen business relationships in the defense sector. Building on the discussion at the June 2021 Taiwan-U.S. Defense Business Forum, this session will focus on new approaches to bind the defense industries on both sides closer together, as well as to support future defense and security cooperation efforts.
The fifth and final session will discuss how the Taiwan defense industrial base has continued to develop, and will examine some past and current programs where the U.S. and Taiwan have cooperated to support indigenous production of key systems for the Taiwan military. The panel will discuss how to build on what has worked in the past, and how to surface ideas and opportunities for potential future collaboration.
The US-Taiwan Business Council and the Taiwan Defense Industry Development Association (TW-DIDA) will co-host the virtual 2021 Taiwan-US Defense Business Forum (台美國防產業論壇) on June 7, 2021 to discuss granular issues of bilateral cooperation in the defense industry supply chain.
This year, we will discuss ways to expand U.S.-Taiwan co-development and co-production in the defense sector beyond a strict seller/buyer relationship, as well as potential new ways for U.S. companies to interact with the Taiwan-based defense community. We will also talk about U.S.-Taiwan cybersecurity cooperation.
Virtual US-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference 2020
Event: US-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference 2020 October 5-6, 2020 Virtual Event
The US-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference 2020 was held October 5-6, 2020 as a virtual event due to the pandemic. It was the 19th annual event in a series of ongoing conferences addressing the future of U.S. defense cooperation with Taiwan, the defense procurement process, and Taiwan’s defense and national security needs.
The 2020 virtual defense conference opened with a discussion on the evolution of the threat to Taiwan. The opening session examined how a more perilous security environment could drive Taiwan’s deterrence and defense options, and how it determines how to meet its current and future military needs.
The second and third sessions assessed Taiwan’s doctrine, readiness, and civil-military relations, as well as how the indigenous defense industry can play a role in developing Taiwan’s capabilities to meet the evolving threat. We also explored how Taiwan is approaching combat readiness under the Overall Defense Concept (ODC), and how the island can leverage civil-military relations to continue strengthening both its democratic institutions and its defensive capabilities.
Keynote Addresses & Conference Program
Keynote speakers included senior representatives from Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense and from the U.S. government. For copies of released speeches from this conference, see www.us-taiwan.org.
Conference sessions at the US-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference feature a moderator and several speakers on the panel, and some sessions may include additional commentators. Each speaker gives a short presentation on the session topic from his or her own viewpoint and expertise. Those presentations are then followed by a moderator-led discussion among the panelists, as well as a moderator-driven question and answer period with the attendees. This format offers the maximum amount of time for exchanges among the panelists, as well as between the panel and the audience, allowing the sessions to become a forum for substantial and valuable interaction and discussion.
Event: US-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference 2019 October 6-8, 2019 Ellicott City, Maryland
The US-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference 2019 will be held October 6-8, 2019
in Ellicott City, Maryland. This will be the 18th annual event in a
series of ongoing conferences addressing the future of U.S. defense
cooperation with Taiwan, the defense procurement process, and Taiwan’s
defense and national security needs.
This year, the conference will open with a discussion on the
future & evolution of Taiwan’s Overall Defense Concept (ODC),
looking at what emerging technologies may mean for the concept, and how
changes to funding, force structure, and available equipment may affect
Taiwan’s ODC plans.
The second, third, and fourth sessions will examine the
multi-faceted threat facing Taiwan – starting with lower threat levels
during everyday life in Taiwan today, moving to the medium-intensity
threat, and then to all-out war. The discussion will look at topic such
as political warfare, cybersecurity, subversion and disinformation,
potential naval and aerospace blockades, embargoes, government
decapitation schemes, and limited ballistic missile strikes. Speakers
will also discuss how a sharp conflict may develop and escalate, and
will consider the most likely assault vectors – including amphibious,
air, missile, cyber, and others. We will also examine potential Taiwan
response strategies and tactics, and the role that the U.S. and other
Taiwan allies may play.
The last session will consider the needs of Taiwan’s future
defense forces. Panelists will discuss how changes to a variety of
factors – such as the move towards an all-volunteer force; issues
surrounding adequate recruitment, training, and retention; demographic
changes; expanded reserves, among other issues – can affect Taiwan’s
military readiness, and how to meet those challenges.
Keynote Addresses & Conference Program
Keynote speakers will include senior representatives from Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense and from the U.S. government.
Conference sessions at the US-Taiwan Defense Industry
Conference feature a moderator and several speakers on the panel, and
some sessions may include additional commentators. Each speaker gives a
short presentation on the session topic from his or her own viewpoint
and expertise. Those presentations are then followed by a moderator-led
discussion among the panelists, as well as a moderator-driven question
and answer period with the attendees. This format offers the maximum
amount of time for exchanges among the panelists, as well as between the
panel and the audience, allowing the sessions to become a forum for
substantial and valuable interaction and discussion.
The US-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference 2018 will be held October 28-30, 2018 in Annapolis, Maryland. This will be the seventeenth annual event in a series of ongoing conferences addressing the future of U.S. defense cooperation with Taiwan, the defense procurement process, and Taiwan’s defense and national security needs.
This year, the conference will open with a discussion on Taiwan’s role in the U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy, and look at how Taiwan can increase regional engagement on defense and national security issues. We will then discuss Taiwan’s Overall Defense Concept (ODC) and current operational and tactical thinking, examining how Taiwan can continue to develop its capabilities in order to meet its existing and future defense needs. The third session will look at ODC implementation across the air, land, sea, space, and cyber domains, and how companies can play a role in supporting this implementation. The last two sessions will look first at offsets under Taiwan’s Industrial Cooperation Program, and will then pivot to discuss Taiwan’s industrial security in the defense sector – including personnel security issues, digital security, as well as trade secrets and IP protection.
The first conference in this series was the St. Petersburg, Florida event where former Taiwan Minister of National Defense Tang Yiau-ming gave the keynote address in March of 2002. The second conference in the series was held in February 2003 in San Antonio, Texas, the third in October 2004 in Phoenix, Arizona, the fourth in September 2005 in San Diego, California, the fifth in September 2006 in Denver, Colorado, and the sixth in September 2007 in Annapolis, Maryland. Taiwan’s Minister of National Defense Chen Chao-min gave the keynote address at the seventh conference in the series, held in September 2008 on Amelia Island, Florida. The eighth conference was held in September 2009 in Charlottesville, Virginia, the ninth in October 2010 in Cambridge, Maryland, and the tenth in September 2011 in Richmond, Virginia. The eleventh conference was held in September 2012 in Hershey, Pennsylvania, and the twelfth in September 2013 in Annapolis, Maryland. The thirteenth conference in October 2014, the fourteenth in October 2015, and the fifteenth in October 2016 all took place in Williamsburg, Virginia. The sixteenth conference was held in October 2017 in Princeton, New Jersey.
Keynote Addresses & Conference Program
Keynote speakers will include senior representatives from Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense and from the U.S. government.
Conference sessions at the US-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference feature a moderator and several speakers on the panel, and some sessions may include additional commentators. Each speaker gives a short presentation on the session topic from his or her own viewpoint and expertise. Those presentations are then followed by a moderator-led discussion among the panelists, as well as a moderator-driven question and answer period with the attendees. This format offers the maximum amount of time for exchanges among the panelists, as well as between the panel and the audience, allowing the sessions to become a forum for substantial and valuable interaction and discussion.
Please join the Global Taiwan Institute and the US-Taiwan Business Council for a joint event to discuss Taiwan’s indigenous defense industry development and opportunities for U.S. – Taiwan industrial cooperation. The panelists will provide an update on the recent Taiwan-US Defense Business Forum held by the USTBC (and TW-DIDA) in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. In addition, GTI will discuss its forthcoming occasional report on Taiwan’s indigenous defense industry.
Panelists:
David An, Senior Research Fellow, Global Taiwan Institute
Rupert Hammond-Chambers, President, US-Taiwan Business Council
Fu Mei, Director, Taiwan Security Analysis Center
Michael Perry, Senior Vice President, Global Aftermarket, AMS Group
The US-Taiwan Business Council and the Taiwan Defense Industry Development Association will be co-hosting the Taiwan-US Defense Business Forum in Kaohsiung, Taiwan on May 10, 2018. This event will bring together U.S. and Taiwan companies to discuss granular challenges of bilateral cooperation in the defense industry supply chain.
The event will offer general discussion on topics such as developing a security clearance process for Taiwan, challenges in discharging Industrial Cooperation Program obligations, and Taiwan’s existing and potential role in the global defense supply chain. The discussion will then examine ways that Taiwan defense industry can participate in the defense supply chain, and opportunities for bilateral U.S.-Taiwan cooperation in the shipbuilding, cybersecurity, and aerospace industries.
Please download the event flyer for more information about registering to attend. To check for more details about the event, please visit www.us-taiwan.org.
The US-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference 2017 will be held October 15-17, 2017 in Princeton, New Jersey. This will be the sixteenth annual event in a series of ongoing conferences addressing the future of U.S. defense cooperation with Taiwan, the defense procurement process, and Taiwan’s defense and national security needs.
This year, the conference will open with a policy discussion on the Trump Administration’s current and future policies in Northeast Asia from a variety of regional perspectives, and will examine its potential impact on Taiwan defense affairs in the short, medium, and long term. We will then discuss the threat and response options for Taiwan, and how the island could exploit its adversary’s weaknesses in both traditional and emerging domains – covering air, land, and sea, as well as cyber and space. The final two sessions will extrapolate on those responses, and will examine their potential implications on developing business opportunities for the defense and security industries in both Taiwan and the United States.
The first conference in this series was the St. Petersburg, Florida event where former Taiwan Minister of National Defense Tang Yiau-ming gave the keynote address in March of 2002. The second conference in the series was held in February 2003 in San Antonio, Texas, the third in October 2004 in Phoenix, Arizona, the fourth in September 2005 in San Diego, California, the fifth in September 2006 in Denver, Colorado, and the sixth in September 2007 in Annapolis, Maryland. Taiwan’s Minister of National Defense Chen Chao-min gave the keynote address at the seventh conference in the series, held in September 2008 on Amelia Island, Florida. The eighth conference was held in September 2009 in Charlottesville, Virginia, the ninth in October 2010 in Cambridge, Maryland, and the tenth in September 2011 in Richmond, Virginia. The eleventh conference was held in September 2012 in Hershey, Pennsylvania, and the twelfth in September 2013 in Annapolis, Maryland. The thirteenth conference in October 2014, the fourteenth in October 2015, and the fifteenth in October 2016 all took place in Williamsburg, Virginia.
Keynote Addresses & Conference Program
Keynote speakers will include senior representatives from Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense and from the U.S. government.
Conference sessions at the US-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference feature a moderator and several speakers on the panel, and some sessions may include additional commentators. Each speaker gives a short presentation on the session topic from his or her own viewpoint and expertise. Those presentations are then followed by a moderator-led discussion among the panelists, as well as a moderator-driven question and answer period with the attendees. This format offers the maximum amount of time for exchanges among the panelists, as well as between the panel and the audience, allowing the sessions to become a forum for substantial and valuable interaction and discussion.
