Hardware Podcasts

How Colocating R&D Drives Manufacturing Innovation w/ Martin DeBono

The Manufacturing Executive · 1 Feb 2022 · 19m · Episode 86

What this episode covers

Martin DeBono, President at GAF Energy, explains how colocating R&D with manufacturing in their San Jose facility accelerates innovation and aids talent recruitment compared to offshore models. He details the launch of their nailable solar shingle, noting that domestic production allows for faster iteration cycles—reducing time-to-market from nearly a year to roughly 40 days—and builds empathy between engineers and operators. DeBono argues that while overseas manufacturing offers lower direct costs, the hidden expenses of travel, working capital for safety stock, and talent retention make reshoring a superior strategy for competitive advantage in the solar industry.

Most relevant to

companies scaling up

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
GAF Energy, Sunpower, Cisco, Gorilla 76, GAF, BMI
Also
Good Housekeeping, VentureBeat, CES

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