DAYTON — Corporate and university research partnerships like the one General Electric Co. plans for a former NCR brownfield on the University of Dayton campus could help stop some of the “brain drain” of recent graduates.

Ohio still loses about 2,000 college graduates a year to other states, but Eric Fingerhut, Ohio Board of Regents chancellor, thinks collaborations like the $51 million Electrical Power Research and Development Center is a great opportunity for students and could encourage them to stay in Ohio.

“It is good for companies to work with upcoming talent and try them out,” Fingerhut said. “It improves the quality of students’ education; hands-on applications really cement learning.”

Fingerhut points to similar partnerships at Ohio State University with Honda and at Stark State College with Rolls Royce as examples of an emerging trend where students work closely with corporate researchers.

University officials hope the GE collaboration will be the first of many on campus. “This kind of partnership will spur innovation,” said Tony Saliba, dean of the UD engineering school. “Innovation is the energy that drives economic growth. Through this partnership I see innovation resulting in company start-ups that result in job creation and opportunities for Ohioans.”

Mickey McCabe, executive director of the University Of Dayton Research Institute, said school officials envision mixed used development around the GE site that will hopefully include similar partnerships with other companies.

McCabe “stopped short of calling it a technology research park,” but said such a development would be “awesome, especially since it is in the aerospace hub.”

“This is a unique thing that has happened and I believe the city and surrounding communities will see some good economic development from it,” McCabe said.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2242 or jnolan@DaytonDailyNews.com.