Nearshore is dead, long live nearshore 2.0
Nearshore IT, in its traditional form, is dying. Not because of competition or protectionism, but because of artificial intelligence.
Traditional nearshore: the body shop model
For 20 years, the model has been the same: a staffing company in Morocco, Tunisia, or Romania recruits developers at €2-3K/month and sells them at €5-8K/month to French clients. The spread makes the business.
The problem: the traditional nearshore dev is a 'button-pusher'. Given a spec, they code. No architecture, no technical challenge, no product vision. It's time sold, not value created.
Why AI is killing this model
In 2025-2026, a senior developer equipped with Claude Code and GitHub Copilot produces the work of 2-3 traditional developers. Mechanical tasks (boilerplate code, unit tests, documentation, simple refactoring) are automated.
Result: clients no longer need 5 nearshore devs to get the job done. They need 2 excellent devs, well-tooled, well-led. Value shifts from VOLUME to QUALITY.
Nearshore 2.0: quality + AI + leadership
The new model rests on three pillars: a senior tech lead who understands architecture and business, hand-picked developers (top 1%, not top 50%), and AI integrated into every dev's daily workflow.
That's exactly what we're building at Nearvik. A senior architect in Paris who leads and frames, an elite team in Casablanca that executes with rigor, and AI as an accelerator at every step.
What this means for European businesses
Fewer devs, but better — same output, 40% cheaper. A senior technical point of contact in Paris — no offshore management. Faster deliveries — AI accelerates the entire cycle. Less technical debt — architecture and code reviews from day one.
Nearshore isn't dead. It's evolving.
Staffing companies selling body shopping will suffer. Those selling AI-augmented engineering will thrive. It's the same disruption that hit print shops, taxis, and travel agencies. The model changes, not the need.
Want to see nearshore 2.0 in action? Contact us to discuss.