Taiwan is building a new military aerospace and drone hub in Chiayi, a win for the region's economy and for the island's defense industry.

• Construction has started on a drone and aerospace industrial park in Minxiong, run by the state defense research institute NCSIST, with President Lai Ching-te leading the ceremony.
• Local lawmakers expect suppliers, engineers and research staff to follow, creating tech jobs in an area young people usually leave to find work.
• The site is pitched as both an economic project and a defense asset, with Chiayi positioned as a drone center for southern Taiwan.
• Drones have become a priority for Taiwan as it builds up cheaper, faster-to-produce weapons in the face of pressure from China.

Outlook: The park's research campus is already open, so the first test of the plan will be how quickly private drone firms actually move in.