Today, we investigate the intersection of the energy transition, critical minerals and defence. As with commodities, warfare is also undergoing rapid and profound change, driven by the electrification of defence over the last 20 years.
Batteries proliferate on the battlefield, and the energy transition is impacting national security. We are witnessing a shift from capital-intensive assets to small, inexpensive weapons, such as drones, that can have profound impacts. This poses a particular problem for the US, where energy dominance has been based on hydrocarbons, as well as its military fighting capabilities. Now, on an electrified battlefront, supply chains that support them sit in China, threatening the West's defence capabilities.
Speaking to our host Paul Chapman on this episode is Joe Bryan, Principal at Muswell Orange, a boutique consulting firm specialising in energy and its intersection with national security. Before returning to the private sector, Joe served as Senior Advisor to the Secretary of Defence and as the Department of Defence’s Chief Sustainability Officer. He also held the role of Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy, where he oversaw policies governing the Department’s installation and operational energy programmes.
Read below for our key talent impacts from this episode.
Key Talent Impacts
How Can Top Battery And Hybrid Tech Talent Be Secured?
The rapid electrification of defence and the proliferation of battery-powered assets—from drones to hybrid vehicles and directed energy weapons—requires talent with expertise in advanced battery chemistries, energy storage systems, and hybridisation technologies. Professionals must bridge the knowledge between commercial battery innovation and military applications, as there is little standardisation and growing complexity in logistics.
How Can Battery And Mineral Supply Chains Be Diversified Beyond China?
China’s dominance in battery processing and the upstream extraction of critical minerals creates acute risks for Western defence and energy sectors. Talent is needed to map, de-risk, and diversify supply chains, develop resilient procurement strategies, and align military and commercial sourcing practices (e.g., integrating standards with major automotive or industrial buyers like GM). Specialists in geopolitical risk and materials sourcing will be increasingly valuable.
Who Can Bridge Commercial R&D With Defence Needs To Accelerate Innovation?
Many of the enabling technologies—batteries, renewable energy solutions, unmanned systems—serve both commercial and defence markets. Talent capable of navigating both regulatory environments and leveraging commercial R&D and manufacturing scale for military needs will be in demand. This includes professionals skilled at translating innovations (such as solid-state or LFP chemistries) from commercial labs into defence-ready solutions.
How Can Top Scientists And Engineers Be Attracted To Lead Next-Gen Battery Breakthroughs?
While private sector R&D dominates battery breakthroughs, the Department of Defence and allied bodies (via DARPA, service research labs, etc.) will require scientists, engineers, and programme leaders to accelerate innovation for niche defence needs. Expertise will be needed in scaling next-generation chemistries, improving manufacturability, and integrating new technologies into existing industrial infrastructure.
Who Can Manage And Streamline Battery Logistics And Field-Charging In Hostile Environments?
With growing reliance on battery-powered assets and a shift towards distributed, unmanned, and rapidly deployable platforms, logistics specialists must adapt to “contested logistics.” Talent is needed to reduce dependency on vulnerable fuel supply chains, manage diverse battery inventories, and develop resilient field-charging and energy distribution solutions to support operations in hostile or disrupted environments.
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