University Merger May Give City Innovation Lead

The possible merger of New York University and Brooklyn Polytechnic University — which would effectively give NYU a first-rate engineering school — could spark New York City's long-standing efforts to establish itself as a leading center for technological innovation, according to a report by an urban public policy organization, the Center for Urban Future.

Ongoing engineering research in the city could lead to new innovations, commercial applications, and economic growth in the city, the author of the report, David Hochman, wrote. Traditionally, universities in major cities spend federal funding on science research which does not lend itself to local business development, the report said.

California's Silicon Valley and Boston both experienced similar economic and technological booms when Stanford University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology expanded their science and engineering programs.