People growingly rely on their phones for navigating via GPS, communicating via satellite and checking weather forecasts. All these services that make our life more intelligent and convenient are made possible by space technology breakthroughs.
Taiwan Accelerator Plus (TAcc+), an international startup program powered by the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), played a key role in facilitating a space industry delegation to the United Kingdom in March 2025. The program is sponsored by the Small and Medium Enterprise and Startup Administration (SMESA), Ministry of Economic Affairs, and executed by ITRI. SMESA served as the official organizer of the mission, while TAcc+ coordinated the activities and engagements throughout the trip.
Taiwan's first team of space industry representatives exhibiting at Space-Comm Expo and holding Taiwan Country Showcase at the event to introduce Taiwan's space industry strength and spark off cross-border partnerships. Credit: ITRI
The Taiwan delegation brought together representatives from the private sector, academia, and government, including companies such as Hon Hai Precision, the Department of Space Science and Engineering at National Central University, and several emerging Taiwan-based space startups. Their participation in Space Comm Expo 2025 aimed to showcase Taiwan's growing space capabilities and foster international cooperation.
With the support of ITRI's international partners—including Space South Central, ADS Group, the Department for Business and Trade (DBT), and the British Office in Taipei—the delegation also visited several key organizations in the United Kingdom space sector. These included the UK Space Agency, Airbus, Eutelsat OneWeb, Satellite Applications Catapult, STFC RAL Space, Surrey Satellite Technology Limited, Surrey Space Centre, and the 5G Innovation Centre. These visits offered the Taiwan delegation valuable insights into the United Kingdom space ecosystem and opened the door for future collaboration.
This mission aimed to build lasting communication channels, deepen partnerships, and strengthen connections between the space and startup communities of both countries.
As the largest and most influential space industry exhibition in the UK, Space-Comm Expo gathered more than 200 exhibitors from all over the world and received 5,900 visitors in 2025. At this year's event, ITRI organized a Taiwan pavilion, themed on 5G/6G, satellite manufacturing and application, Earth observation, and space applications, to showcase Taiwan-based startups' creativity and innovations.
ITRI also secured opportunities to have the Taiwan team of exhibitors participate in technology sharing sessions and present their achievements at Space-Comm Expo forums, including Taiwan Country Showcase and the Global Space Industry Showcase. These opportunities allowed Taiwan-based startups to network with exhibitors from other countries and boost their visibility in the global marketplace.
Two noteworthy events were held on March 11. The Taiwan Cultural Tea Reception took place at the Space-Comm Expo. UK-Taiwan Night, co-hosted with Space South Central, took place at UCL East. Well attended by government representatives and industry experts from different corners of the world, both events offered opportunities for face-to-face communication and media exposure that helped increase the Taiwan space industry's global visibility and sparked off cross-border partnerships.
International SpaceTech Startup Supporting Program 2025 kicking off, welcoming international startups to Taiwan
SMESA's International SpaceTech Startup Supporting Program has been running for years. The program has successfully brought a great many international startup teams to Taiwan, including Axiom Space, HEX20, and Reflex Aerospace. They have infused a new energy into Taiwan's space industry development. At the same time as ITRI led the delegation to participate in Space-Comm Expo, SMESA launched the 2025 International SpaceTech Startup Supporting Program, aiming to attract international startups with critical space technologies to Taiwan. The initiative is part of a broader effort to accelerate the upgrade and transformation of Taiwan's space industry. The program will connect selected international startups with Taiwan's space industry ecosystem resources through match-making visits to local companies, POC validations, and exhibition event marketing. Taiwan will serve as their gateway to Asian markets.
The International SpaceTech Startup Supporting Program 2025 will focus on international startups endeavoring in communication satellite and system integration, remote sensing and imaging technologies for satellite application, small rocket manufacturing and launching, AI edge computing applications, ground equipment, satellite manufacturing, and other space technologies. The focus on satellite manufacturing is aimed at helping strengthen Taiwan's ability to design, assemble, and make satellites and drive high-performance satellite system development. The focus on remote sensing and imaging technologies for satellite applications is intended to drive advances in remote sensing and imaging technologies for their extended use in environmental monitoring, agriculture, and smart city. The focus on AI edge computing applications is for the purpose of enhancing Taiwan's ability to analyze satellite data and perform real-time computation while creating a diversity of space data application scenarios.
On the foundation of the country's robust semiconductor, ICT, and precision machinery sectors, Taiwan's space industry is gaining attention in the global marketplace. Future synergy with international startups' technological strength
will boost Taiwan's competitiveness in the global space sector and reenergize Taiwan's overall economic development.
Visit https://taccplus.com/en/international-program/ for more information.
Taiwan-UK Space Delegation being impressed by STFC RAL Space's achievements in large geosynchronous satellite integration and testing technologies. Credit: ITRI
Taiwan-UK Space Delegation visiting UK Space Agency. Credit: ITRI
Article edited by Jack Wu
