Helping N.J. professors create jobs

Research outfit is trying to help connect professors and entrepreneurs. The idea is turning breakthroughs into business models.

A research group is calling for new partnerships between New Jersey corporations and universities to help create new jobs.

The New Jersey Policy Research Organization says the recession and state budget cutbacks mean more innovation is needed to foster job growth.

David Feingold is the dean of the School of Management and Labor Relations at Rutgers. He says collaboration between researchers in the public and private sectors can lead to new products and the formation of new companies.

Feingold says more needs to be done to make it easy to get start-ups off the ground.

“Even if it isn’t huge amounts of investment incentives or other things, but it’s saying look we’ll cut through red tape, we’ll support the universities to work with these firms, write grants, meet the training needs. That’s what is really needed.”

The research group says an existing state agency should be designated to make sure federal dollars for research in New Jersey are used in the most beneficial way.