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Tuesday 14 October 2025
TAcc+ International SpaceTech Startup Supporting Program: Building a Collaborative Global Space Ecosystem
With a proven record in satellite missions such as FORMOSAT-5, FORMOSAT-7, the Triton satellite, and the soon-to-be-launched FORMOSAT-8, Taiwan has established itself as a credible force in global space development. These achievements highlight its capabilities in satellite design, system integration, and long-term operations. Building on this foundation-and leveraging its world-class strengths in semiconductors, electronics, and precision manufacturing-Taiwan is widely regarded as a "natural ally" in the rapidly expanding space industry. Ongoing government initiatives to advance next-generation technologies and foster international partnerships are further positioning Taiwan as a key contributor to global SpaceTech innovation.DG GJ Lee (SMESA), Deputy DG Vicky Chu (TASA), and Dr. Lewis Chen (ITRI CIS) attended with TAcc+This year, under the Taiwan Accelerator Plus (TAcc+) initiative organized by the Small and Medium Enterprise and Startup Administration (SMESA) of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the International SpaceTech Startup Supporting Program brought 15 international SpaceTech startups with ambitions in the Asia-Pacific market to Taiwan for a four-week residency. During the program, the startups engaged with local enterprises, research institutions, and universities, while also tapping into Taiwan's supply chain and startup ecosystem to accelerate their scaling efforts.Behind the scenes, the TAcc+ organizing team from ITRI's Commercialization and Industry Service Center served as the driving force of the program-coordinating all engagements with Taiwanese partners, facilitating business linkages, and ensuring that every visiting company was strategically connected with the right local stakeholders.Jess Wang, a TAcc+ project specialist, highlighted that beyond cultural immersion, the real driving force lies in the overall pull factors Taiwan offers: "When people experience Taiwan's openness, innovation, and collaborative spirit, they begin to see real potential for long-term growth and impact here."Magdrive: Next-Generation Electric Propulsion for In-Orbit MissionsUK-based Magdrive specializes in developing next-generation metal-propellant propulsion systems for spacecraft and aims to leverage Taiwan's supply chain to enhance its technology.Its thrusters utilize inert solid metals as propellant to generate high thrust and efficiency, enabling new mission types such as in-orbit servicing, assembly, and manufacturing. The company's proprietary design provides a hybrid approach between chemical and electric propulsion, offering greater energy density while maintaining compact form factors suitable for small satellites.Magdrive achieved a milestone in June 2025 when its thrusters were successfully tested in orbit aboard a D-Orbit ION on Transporter 14. Looking ahead, the company intends to transition into full commercial operations, with several more thruster launches planned for 2026.During the Taipei Aerospace and Defence Technology Exhibition (TADTE) and related forums, Magdrive signed four MOUs with Taiwanese companies, reflecting its strong interest in forging deeper collaborations. The company's long-term ambition includes setting up a regional office in Taiwan. Beyond propulsion technology, Magdrive also highlighted its interest in collaborating with Taiwan's semiconductor sector for advanced power management solutions, seeing cross-disciplinary integration as key to building scalable, next-generation propulsion systems.TakeMe2Space: India–Taiwan Co-Development for Affordable Space AccessIndia-based TakeMe2Space, though still in its pre-seed stage, has already begun generating revenue and views Taiwan not just as a vendor source but as a strategic co-development partner.The startup seeks to capitalize on Taiwan's expertise in precision engineering, high-density PCBs, and thermal management solutions for satellites. It has praised the responsiveness and openness of Taiwanese companies and universities, emphasizing the critical role of academia in helping local firms commercialize space technologies.TakeMe2Space is actively exploring collaborations with firms like Rapidtek, TensorTech and also universities like NCKU, and has formalized two MOUs with other Taiwanese firms. Its unique value proposition for Taiwanese partners lies in access to their satellites' for in-orbit AI and payload deployment combined with high launch cadence, enabling faster and more cost-effective deployment of co-developed solutions into low-Earth orbit. In addition, the company envisions building joint innovation labs with Taiwanese universities to accelerate subsystem prototyping and testing, creating a bilateral innovation cycle that links India's and Taiwan's excellence.Stars Edge: Scaling VLEO Constellations through Taiwan PartnershipsUK-based Stars Edge, a specialist in Very Low-Earth orbit (VLEO) satellite technologies, has identified Taiwan as a pivotal hub for its Asia-Pacific growth strategy.During its five-week residency under the TAcc+ program, the company engaged in intensive discussions with universities, government bodies, and industry leaders across the entire supply chain-from antenna and component manufacturers to satellite operators and potential end-users. This comprehensive approach reflects Stars Edge's ambition to integrate deeply into Taiwan's space ecosystem rather than pursuing one-off collaborations.A key milestone was the signing of an MOU with SpaceVLEO, a Taiwanese company, to jointly explore the development of a telecommunications satellite constellation. Such collaboration highlights Taiwan's capability to contribute not just hardware but also system-level integration for next-generation satellite constellations.Stars Edge also confirmed that it is in advanced talks with other local firms on payload hosting, computational technologies, and ground station support. By leveraging Taiwan's strengths in precision engineering, high-performance electronics, and satellite component manufacturing, the company aims to accelerate its roadmap for deploying scalable, cost-effective VLEO solutions.Looking ahead, Stars Edge is actively evaluating the establishment of a mass manufacturing facility in Taiwan, which would serve as both a production base and an R&D hub for the broader Asia-Pacific market. According to company representatives, Taiwan's combination of technical expertise, policy support, and regional connectivity makes it an "ideal partner" for realizing the company's long-term vision of providing affordable and reliable satellite services globally.Kepler Aerospace: Integrating Satellites and Drones for Dual-Use InnovationIndia's Kepler Aerospace has been managing mission operations for the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for four years and holds intelligence satellite contracts with India's Ministry of Defense.During the TAcc+ program, Kepler strengthened its long-standing ties with the Taiwan Space Agency (TASA) and existing local partners. Unlike many startups that stop at MOUs, Kepler is moving toward finalizing contracts with Taiwanese vendors, which it regards as a stronger signal of commitment.Kepler also emphasized the complementary relationship between drones and satellites: drones provide "hyper-local data collection," while satellites deliver "national data collection." By integrating both, a rapid and accurate situational picture can be generated. The company further envisions platforms enabling remote drone operations through satellite constellations, advancing concepts like NTN 6G D2D.The company noted that Taiwan's thriving ICT ecosystem and established aerospace suppliers make it an ideal partner for advancing dual-use applications that serve both civilian and defense needs. Kepler is particularly interested in Taiwan's unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) developers and semiconductor firms, seeing opportunities to co-create secure communication modules and next-generation avionics.Looking forward, Kepler aims to deploy its solutions in Taiwan's defense, telecommunications, marine, and fisheries sectors, while also exploring joint R&D programs with universities to enhance satellite analytics and UAV-satellite interoperability.TelePIX: Advancing AI-Powered Geospatial Intelligence with SatCHATSouth Korea's TelePIX is advancing the frontier of AI-powered geospatial intelligence through its flagship service SatCHAT, which leverages Large Language Models (LLMs) to process and analyze satellite imagery and make the results more accessible. The company views Taiwan as an ideal partner, given the island's growing investments in CubeSats, microsatellites, and related optical payload technologies.During its five-week residency, TelePIX pursued a three-pronged strategy: to engage with local companies and research institutes for joint satellite missions, to establish Taiwan as a regional hub for scaling its solutions across the broader Asian market, and to lay the foundation for long-term technology and talent exchange.The company has already signed several non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) and is in the early stages of discussions with a Taiwanese optics specialist regarding a potential partnership. TelePIX's onboard processor, TetraPLEX, has also drawn interest from local firms aiming to enhance satellite data-processing capabilities.To broaden accessibility, SatCHAT is expanding its multilingual capabilities beyond English, Korean, and Indonesian, with Mandarin integration expected soon. By incorporating LLM technology, the platform enables more efficient analysis and wider usability, aligning particularly well with Taiwan's collaborative environment.At the same time, TelePIX emphasized its strong technical expertise in the development of advanced optical payloads, continuing to drive innovation in imaging systems and positioning itself as a valuable partner for co-developing comprehensive space solutions with Taiwanese stakeholders.Stellar Kinetics: Agile Launch Services for the Growing Satellite IndustryNew Zealand-based Stellar Kinetics, a launch service provider, is carving out a niche in the global market by designing, manufacturing, and launching rockets capable of deploying satellites efficiently.In Taiwan, Stellar Kinetics met extensively with hardware and software vendors to explore integration opportunities for its next-generation launch vehicles. The company's philosophy is to incorporate "the best products in the market" into its rockets, and Taiwan's supply chain, renowned for high-quality aerospace-grade electronics, structural components, and embedded systems, has proven to be a fertile source of collaboration.The TAcc+ program further facilitated cross-border networking, enabling Stellar Kinetics to connect with other international startups. Company representatives described an "ecosystem-in-the-making," where partnerships often involve two international startups collaborating with a Taiwanese company to develop end-to-end solutions-from payload design and rocket integration to launch and downstream applications.Stellar Kinetics sees Taiwan not only as a supplier base but also as a strategic regional hub for Asia-Pacific operations. Proximity to key markets such as Korea and Japan, combined with Taiwan's supportive policies for space development, makes it an attractive anchor point for expansion. The company has already signed multiple MOUs during its visit, laying a solid foundation for long-term cooperation and signaling Taiwan's growing role in the global launch services market.Agnikul: 3D-Printed Engines for a New Era of Rocket PropulsionIndia's Agnikul is focused on advancing 3D-printed engines and propulsion systems. During its Taiwan visit, the company signed NDAs with TASA for engine testing and is preparing another with Eta Technologies for high-power batteries.The company is exploring collaborations in avionics, chip manufacturing, flight computers, and composite materials. Its long-term strategy includes developing in-house ICs for flight computers while working with Taiwanese vendors on propulsion systems, avionics components, high-power batteries, and structural composites.Agnikul noted that Taiwan's mature semiconductor ecosystem offers an opportunity to integrate custom-designed chips into its rocket avionics, significantly improving computing efficiency and reliability in extreme environments. The company also expressed strong interest in collaborating with Taiwan's composite materials suppliers to co-develop lightweight, high-strength structural components, a critical requirement for lowering launch costs and enabling more frequent space missions.Taiwan as a Key Architect of the Space FutureThe TAcc+ International SpaceTech Startup Supporting Program has already led to tangible collaborations, underscoring the global space industry's shift toward cross-border partnerships.For startups like Magdrive, TakeMe2Space, and Stars Edge, Taiwan has become more than just a supply chain partner. With its established strengths in semiconductors, electronics, and precision engineering, Taiwan is positioning itself as a vital collaborator for innovation, a gateway to Asia-Pacific opportunities, and a key architect in shaping the next frontier of the global space ecosystem.Sep. 9 - Taiwan Space Agency (TASA) visit. Deputy DG Vicky Chu (TASA, row 1 fourth from right). TAcc+DG GJ Lee (SMESA), Deputy DG Vicky Chu (TASA), and Dr. Lewis Chen (ITRI CIS) attended with TAcc+
