2026 United Nations Science and Technology Forum: Inclusive, Worker-Centered Innovation for Resilient Communities
This panel discussion explores worker-centered strategies for building resilient communities, featuring speakers from the International Psychoanalytical Organization, New American Manufacturing Renaissance, Northland Workforce Training Center and Mechanism.
May 6, 2026, 10-11:15am ET
Description
The panel will focus on how revitalization in Buffalo, NY and other post-industrial cities can be understood not only as an economic opportunity, but also as a question of people’s relationship to place.
A stable connection to one’s home, neighborhood, and everyday environment is deeply tied to identity, autonomy, and mental well-being. In that sense, leveraging worker-centered development to deploy investment is more than a jobs strategy: it is a way of ensuring that long-disinvested communities are able to benefit from neighborhood change rather than experience revitalization as another form of displacement. This framing strengthens the session’s focus on inclusive innovation by showing how equitable industrial growth can support not just business success, but also community stability, dignity, and resilience for the people already rooted in place.
The discussion aligns with SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) by fostering inclusive, resilient manufacturing ecosystems, and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) by promoting sustainable, equitable neighborhood development.
Speakers
Tanu Kumar
Mechanism
Stephen Tucker
Northland Workforce Training Center
Drew Crowe
New American Manufacturing Renaissance
Mona Jain
International Psychoanalytical Association
Organizations
Related Resource
Reclaiming Buffalo’s Industrial Legacy with a Focus on Racial & Economic Inclusion
October 2022
Buffalo, New York
This story details how three non-profit organizations are leading a coordinated response to rebuilding manufacturing in Buffalo’s East Side: the Northland Workforce Training Center, Buffalo Manufacturing Works, and Insyte Consulting. Since 2011, these state- and federally-funded organizations have joined forces to align resources and reinforce services, paving the way for a better manufacturing future by offering residents of Buffalo’s East Side the chance to reclaim their industrial legacy – this time with an explicit goal of promoting racial and economic inclusion. The report highlights the strategies that this constellation of partners uses to foster investments in workforce development alongside investments in technology – something we call inclusive innovation.