Hiring an academic researcher to implement an algorithm in a paper they wrote I recently joined a technology startup company where a key business value-proposition depends on solving certain various problems that no current business competitor solves. There is one particular sub-problem we're looking to offer a commercial solution to - and it has been already solved by an academic team who published a paper describing an algorithmic solution about 15 years ago. To our knowledge, no commercial operation employs their approach. We would like to capitalize on this.

The team-members are still working at the original university and fully contactable.

The problem is the solution as described in the paper is beyond the current academic-ability of the startup's employees - and given time constraints I'm considering the possibility of contacting the team to ask them to implement it for us - as paid professionals, of course.

Is this appropriate? Is there a good way to frame this? Would paying them for their work introduce any kind of conflict-of-interest or other consequences?
It is definitely appropriate to ask.  University policies on outside work for employees vary.  But typically it is allowed.  There are at least three possible approaches to this.


You hire the academic directly, and it is a side job for them.
You provide the university with research funding, which is then used to pay to make the implementation.  This might have tax benefits, it will make the academic look good, and will allow the university to take a cut of the money.
You partner with the university to obtain funding from a third party (probably a government program).  Your company pays for the commercial part of the project and the third party provides pure research funds the academics want.  This makes everyone look good but can be slow.


The key thing here is that you need to convince the academics that there is a benefit for them to participating.  This is a matter of their personal preferences.