The phenomenon of migrant entrepreneurs or migrant businesses is best studied in spatial entities, e.g., regions, cities, or localities such as neighbourhoods. Although migrants increasingly start businesses in knowledge-based sectors, neighbourhoods and local ecosystems in cities are the spatial entities where migrant entrepreneurs are most visible and impact our everyday lives.
Drawing on theories of ethnicity, immigration and refugee migration and related concepts of mixed-embeddedness and multifocality, transnationalism, and diaspora, we will define, differentiate, and discuss migrant entrepreneurship. A closer look will be taken at migrants’ self-employment, start-up activities, generational characteristics etc.
Moreover, we will debate narratives of migrants as local grocery store owner and presents new narratives of migrant entrepreneurship, such as knowledge-intensive businesspeople (see BioNTech). Further characteristics of migrant entrepreneurs will be explained and set into the local context, such as ecosystems.
To put what has been learned into practical application, participants will form small teams and conduct a field study in Bochum to self-experience the distribution of migrant entrepreneurs in neighbourhoods. A mapping will be conducted and compared to existing studies on agglomerations of migrant entrepreneurs or studies on the settlement of migrant businesses close to the city centre.
- Kursleiter/in: Alexandra David
- Kursleiter/in: Judith Terstriep
- Kursleiter/in: Sarah Zurek