In November 2020, the Swedish government initiated an enquiry with the task to propose a future materiel supply strategy for Sweden’s military defence. Ba[1]sed on this task, we discuss which actors make up today’s national defense industry, specifically within the naval domain. In order to maintain a high rate of innovation, there should be a continuous inflow of new actors. There are different ways to make it possible and attractive for start-ups and other small firms to operate in this complex market. The author suggests in-depth studies of how other nations have approached this issue, and recommends that innovation ecosystems be initiated, centered on specific product platforms, i.e. naval ship classes.