Dr Charlotte Kirk
Inspiring your adventures
Military expertise
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In the British Army, I became the first female to pass selection into my previously all-male infantry unit.
As a platoon commander I led training operations, organised international exercises and enjoyed building the best team of solidiers. Advanced problem solving in challenging and high-pressure environments including extreme fatigue, is definitely great preparation for endurance sports!
But the army was also the catalyst for both my triathlon and cross-country skiing careers, and I enjoyed captaining teams and leading overseas training exercises for both.
In skiing I won the infantry championships and podiumed at international ski marathons. In triathlon I won the army triathlon champs across multiple distances, and won relay races with some great teams.
Very grateful for life-long friends and visting some incredible places!
Energy security, resilience and reindustrialisation
- The defence sector as a catalyst for revoutionary climate technologies
For the past 10 years, I've built a career investing in, developing, and scaling revolutionary technologies to power the energy transition.
Militaries and the defence sector are emerging as a powerful opportunity for these solutions - offering unique pathways to market and commercial scale as a robust test-bed enabling rapid iteration, validation, and scaling.
By bridging national security and climate innovation, defense can catalyze the next generation of sustainable solutions for both military and civilian use.
As global priorities shift towards security, resilience, and reindustrialization defining the global energy system, dual-use technologes - like those that also deliver national security benefits are gaining momentum, especially in defence-relevant sectors where strategic assets are highly valued.
There are several tactical and operational benefits to developing decarbonised military equipment.
Renewable & distributed energy systems inherently enhance energy security e.g. for off-grid military operations, reducing reliance on vulnerable fuel supply lines. Onshoring of manufacturing & domestic technology production can further mitigate geopolitical risks, strengthen supply-chain resilience & reduce value-chain dependencies.
The defense sector is uniquely positioned to accelerate innovation, and is an ideal environment to pilot, refine, and validate emerging climate technologies before they reach broader markets. For example, historically innovations like GPS and drones were first proven in defense settings before transforming civilian industries
Defense organizations are already deploying and testing advanced climate solutions from vehicle electricifcation and micro-reactors to enable silent mobility and surveillance, and solar arrays on bases, to predictive maintenance and real-time energy management systems - not only reducing emissions, but also improving operational effectiveness and reducing logistical burdens.
In 2022, the RAF Voyager, a military version of the Airbus A330, completed the world's first 100% SAF flight. Since Jan 2025, the UK's MOD has mandated that all military aviation fuel procured will include SAF.