Beyond the Buzzword: How Hardware Teams Actually Use Nearshoring
Thursday, November 5, 2026, 4:00 PM PST – 7:00 PM PST
Hosted by Inaki Pedroarena
Nearshoring is one of the biggest buzzwords in hardware, manufacturing, and supply chain strategy. But what does it actually look like for founders and product teams trying to build real physical products? Hosted by San Diego Hardware Meetup, this session will bring together founder and operator perspectives to demystify nearshoring in practice. With Mexico's stat of Baja California just across the border, San Diego has a unique advantage: access to manufacturing partners, logistics infrastructure, design and engineering talent, and cross-border expertise that can help hardware companies move from prototype to production. The conversation will focus on real experiences: why teams considered nearshoring, how they got started, what worked, what was harder than expected, what they would do differently, and what other founders should understand before exploring cross-border production. The panel may also include a manufacturing, supply chain, or cross-border service provider to help ground the discussion in practical details around cost, timelines, vendor selection, logistics, and common mistakes. The goal is to move beyond the buzzword and give founders, engineers, operators, and investors a clearer understanding of when nearshoring makes sense, and how San Diego’s binational ecosystem can become a real advantage for hardware startups. Audience: Hardware founders, product teams, mechanical engineers, industrial designers, manufacturing operators, investors, and anyone building or funding physical products in the San Diego–Baja region. Format: Panel discussion + audience Q&A + community networking.