Texas Border Business
By Roberto Hugo González / Texas Border Business
HARLINGEN, Texas — Harlingen will host the Texas–Mexico Manufacturing Ecosystem Forum on May 12-13, 2027, bringing a new binational industrial event to the Rio South Texas region at the Harlingen Convention Center.
Organizers describe the two-day forum as a “first-of-its-kind binational initiative” designed to connect organizations and integrate leading manufacturing sectors in Texas and Mexico into a more collaborative and competitive regional ecosystem. Organizers project more than 2,500 participants, more than 200 companies, more than 70 exhibition booths, and participation from more than 70 associations, clusters, and organizations.
The event aims to bring together manufacturing clusters and associations, economic development organizations, higher education and workforce development institutions, technology and innovation organizations, and public-sector stakeholders. The forum will focus on accelerating regional supply-chain integration between Texas and Mexico.
Key sectors identified for the event include automotive, aerospace, electronics, logistics, environmental sustainability, foreign trade, human resources, plastics, tooling and precision manufacturing, information technology, and advanced manufacturing.
The forum is also expected to connect participants with industrial organizations from both countries. Sergio Gracia, President and CEO of México Industry, told Texas Border Business that more than 30 state and national industrial clusters in Mexico, as well as organizations involved in automotive, aerospace, information technology, electronics, energy, advanced manufacturing, Industry 4.0, plastics, and home appliances, will attend.
“We chose the Rio South Texas region because this is a place where the Texas–Mexico manufacturing relationship is already happening every day: through connected production networks, cross-border trade, and collaboration between companies on both sides of the border,” Gracia said.
On the U.S. side, organizers have identified manufacturing associations, economic development organizations, universities, technical colleges, workforce organizations, ports, customs brokers, and logistics and infrastructure representatives as groups expected to be part of the ecosystem. Organizations listed include the South Texas Manufacturers Association, San Antonio Manufacturers Association, and Austin Regional Manufacturers Association.
Adam Gonzalez, President and CEO of the Council for South Texas Economic Progress (COSTEP), described the forum as an opportunity to bring potential investors and business partners directly to the region.
“Instead of our region going out to look for investment opportunities, the Forum will bring those opportunities to the region,” Gonzalez said.
Programming will include an expo, conferences, specialized panels, one-on-one business meetings, networking activities, and a recognition reception. The exhibition area will include more than 70 stands, where companies and organizations can present products, services, technologies, and capabilities while meeting potential clients, suppliers, and business partners.
A central component will be the first Texas–Mexico Manufacturing Ecosystem Integration Round Table. Organizers plan to bring together representatives of Mexican state and national industrial clusters to develop a collaboration agenda, identify joint opportunities, and strengthen manufacturing integration between Mexico and Texas. The organizers said the meeting is intended to “establish the basis for long-term collaboration among industrial clusters from Mexico and Texas.”
The selection of Harlingen places the inaugural forum in the Rio Grande Valley. Event organizers describe the Harlingen Convention Center as a “world-class venue strategically located in the heart of the Rio Grande Valley.”
The May 2027 gathering will bring manufacturers, suppliers, economic development organizations, and other participants from Texas and Mexico to a single venue for discussions on trade, investment, logistics, workforce development, technology, and supply-chain integration.
The Texas–Mexico Manufacturing Ecosystem Forum 2027, powered by México Industry and ProTexas Industry and presented under the Rio South Texas Region initiative, will take place May 12–13, 2027, at the Harlingen Convention Center.
