Automotive to Aerospace: Energy Security Must Be at the Heart of Britain’s Manufacturing Transition

Monday 28 September, 2026 e2 Energy Partners says manufacturers diversifying into aerospace and defence must tackle one of their biggest underlying business risks – energy – if they are to capitalise on unprecedented UK defence investment. UK, September 2026 - As automotive manufacturers increasingly look towards aerospace and defence to protect jobs, skills and production capacity, e2 Energy Partners is calling for energy security to become a fundamental part of the UK's manufacturing diversification strategy. The opportunity is significant. The Government's Defence Investment Plan, published in June, sets out almost £298 billion of Ministry of Defence spending over the next four years, supported by an additional £15 billion investment package. The Government expects the programme to create almost 60,000 additional direct and indirect UK industry jobs by the end of the decade, while explicitly seeking to bring more British SMEs into defence supply chains. And the money is already reaching UK industry. Government figures published this month show defence spending with British industry reached a record £34.1 billion in 2025/26, with £1.3 billion spent directly with smaller businesse