Major wars and crises, despite their severe human and economic costs, may also function as critical junctures that reshape development trajectories. Drawing on evolutionary economics and industrial policy literature, this letter argues that the destruction of industrial capacities and productive equipment can create a “window of opportunity” for structural transformation. Under such circumstances, industrial reconstruction should not be confined to replacing damaged machinery and restoring pre-existing production patterns. Instead, it should be viewed as an opportunity to upgrade national technological capabilities. The paper contends that sustainable industrial development requires a strategic transition from “producing goods based on imported technologies” toward “designing and manufacturing capital goods, industrial machinery, and production systems”. By revisiting the post-war experiences of successful industrialized economies and discussing the institutional prerequisites of technological upgrading, the article proposes that post-war reconstruction policies should prioritize capital goods industries, technology transfer, co-design and co-production arrangements, and the establishment of national machinery-building consortia. Such an approach can strengthen technological sovereignty, industrial resilience, and long-term economic development.