The 2026 iteration of the Farnborough International Airshow (FIA) will feature its first ever finance event, hosted by Baroness Patience Wheatcroft, ex-editor of the Wall Street Journal Europe and The Sunday Telegraph. 

The announcement follows the signing of multinational financial institution Barclays as a Farnborough International Airshow 2026 Strategic Partner.

The Aerospace Global Forum: Finance Summit will unite top-tier financial institutions with global aerospace industry leaders to explore opportunities for unlocking the capital required to accelerate growth, R&D, product development and scaling.

Aerospace Global Forum: Finance Summit

Bridging the gap between capital and capability, the event will explore how investment fuels innovation and strengthens resilience across aerospace, defence and space, spanning new technologies, expanded production capacity, and more robust, future-ready supply chains.

The Aerospace Global Forum: Finance Summit will coalesce the international aerospace and defence industries with primary constituents of the finance and investment communities, including sovereign funds, institutional investors and banks. The programme will also provide SMEs and start-ups with direct pathways to funding, through high-level keynotes, panels, closed-door roundtables, and premium networking opportunities.

A new strategic partnership

A major British universal bank headquartered in London, operating in over 40 countries with over 80,000 employees, Barclays PLC supports a broad range of defence and security firms – from innovative SMEs to some of the world’s largest defence companies.

Barclays is actively engaged with Government to support policy development, alongside industry, to advise and provide insights to its clients in the sector, ahead of the forthcoming Defence Finance and Investment Strategy.

In addition to its start-up and SME support, Barclays will be utilising the airshow to showcase its range of financial products and services to UK, US and European aerospace and defence companies that supply NATO and its allies.

This includes supporting defence tech and dual use start-ups pivoting into defence, as well as working with UK defence innovation bodies to help ensure companies engage with the Ministry of Defence at the appropriate stage of their development to accelerate sector growth.

Barclays Business Prosperity Index research in Q4 revealed 74 per cent of UK business leaders support the Government’s plan to raise defence spending to five per cent of GDP by 2035.

Over half (51 per cent) expect increased defence spending to have a positive impact on their business, 40 per cent expect it to support SME growth and 56 per cent anticipate benefits for their region.

Commenting on the announcement, Gareth Rogers, CEO of Farnborough International, said: “The launch of the Aerospace Global Forum: Finance Summit marks an important evolution for Farnborough International Airshow. As the aerospace, defence and space sectors continue to transform, access to capital and strategic investment has never been more critical to driving innovation, resilience and sustainable growth.

“We are excited to work alongside Barclays as a Strategic Partner for the airshow, whose global reach and expertise will play a key role in connecting businesses with the financial pathways needed to scale. Baroness Wheatcroft will be an outstanding host, and we very much look forward to her contributions”.

Matt Hammerstein, CEO, Barclays UK Corporate Bank, said: “Farnborough International Airshow brings together the global aerospace and defence ecosystem at a time when access to capital and coordination across the sector have never been more important.

“Working closely with government and UK defence innovation bodies, we are focused on improving alignment between public and private capital and helping businesses engage with defence customers at the right stage of growth.

“Farnborough 2026 reflects the expanding role of finance in the sector, and Barclays is proud to support a platform that connects capital with capability at global scale.”

First speaker announced

Baroness Wheatcroft has been announced as the host and moderator of the Aerospace Global Forum: Finance Summit, bringing extensive expertise in finance, business, and economic policy to her role.

With a distinguished career spanning senior editorial positions at leading financial publications, including The Wall Street Journal Europe, The Times, and The Sunday Telegraph, Baroness Wheatcroft is widely recognised for her authoritative insight into global markets, corporate governance, and investment trends. Her experience extends beyond journalism into the financial and automotive sectors, where she has held non-executive director roles within St. James's Place PLC and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, and was a member of the original Advisory Board for the British Business Bank. Appointed to the House of Lords in 2011, Baroness Wheatcroft has since played an active role in shaping debate on financial services, pensions, and business policy in the UK.

Baroness Wheatcroft will help drive strategic dialogue on the future of aerospace financing and investment during the opening panel of the Finance Summit, titled "Resilient Horizons: Strengthening Global Supply Chains and Financing the Future of Aerospace." The high‑level strategic session brings together senior policymakers, industry executives, and financial leaders to explore how the aerospace sector can accelerate resilience, sustainability, and long‑term capital flows in an era of profound transformation.

Taking place 20–24 July 2026, this year’s edition of the Farnborough International Airshow reflects deliberate ecosystem expansion, integrating finance, artificial intelligence, supply chain development and adjacent sectors to create a multifaceted marketplace.