Paris: Ukraine's battlefield experience has placed the country at the center of this year's Eurosatory defense exhibition in France, as military planners and defense companies increasingly turn to Ukraine for insights into drone warfare and military innovation.According to Focus Taiwan, Yaroslav Azhniuk, founder and CEO of Ukrainian drone company The Fourth Law, stated that more than 70 military units currently utilize the company's products. Ukraine's 12-year conflict with Russia has endowed the country with valuable expertise, with insights from soldiers, military units, and manufacturers continuously feeding into new technological advancements. Azhniuk noted that this experience has positioned Ukraine as a leader in defense innovation, particularly in drones, earning it the moniker "Defense Valley," akin to Silicon Valley. He also dismissed concerns of an AI uprising, emphasizing that AI-enabled drones remain tools under human control.The biennial Eurosatory exhibition, a major global defense and secur ity show, took place from June 15-19 in Paris, featuring over 2,600 exhibitors, including 10 Taiwanese companies specializing in drones, counter-drone systems, and defense technologies, as reported by the organizers. Drones and unmanned systems emerged as dominant themes, mirroring lessons from the war in Ukraine and other conflicts.Shu Hsiao-Huang, an associate research fellow at Taiwan's Institute for National Defense and Security Research (INDSR), highlighted that the war in Ukraine and recent Middle Eastern conflicts have spurred the development of drones and counter-drone systems. Low-cost interception technologies, such as drones made via 3D-printing technology, garnered particular interest at Eurosatory, as noted by Shu in an interview with CNA at the event.Sheu Jyh-shyang, an assistant research fellow at INDSR, emphasized the importance of Taiwan deepening cooperation with European defense industries to reduce reliance on Chinese supply chains and bolster defense collaboration across Europe. These developments could foster new opportunities for partnerships between Taiwan and European countries, Sheu mentioned in an interview at the exhibition.