Miluas, a startup that has developed an operator platform for drone pilots, has tested the platform during Heimevernet exercises but the trials have not led to the Norwegian Defence purchasing the solution. Joachim Riise, a drone pilot in Heimevernet and the founder and CEO of Miluas, said the company will look to other markets after the tests did not produce Defence contracts. He described it as unfortunate for a Norwegian company that had hoped the armed forces would adopt the platform in projects rather than forcing a conversion to another market.
Speakers at the Oslo Defsec Industry Forum—part of Oslo Innovation Week 2026—warned that it is very demanding for small defence tech firms to become suppliers to the Defence. Colonel Asbjørn Lysgård advised startups seeking the Defence as a customer to pursue collaboration and secure financing to navigate the high barriers. The Factory, which has invested in Miluas, hosted the event where these points were discussed. Heimevernet itself comprises around 40,000 people, most of whom serve only a few days a year, and many participants bring ideas from civilian roles into exercises.