Hanken receives research funding to explore migrant entrepreneurship in Nordic's informal economy

Hanken School of Economics, in collaboration with Umeå University, has received SEK 1 992 000 from the Peter Wallenberg Foundation to investigate the causes and impacts of migrant entrepreneurial engagement in the informal economies of Finland and Sweden.

“Migrants often turn to informal entrepreneurship as a survival strategy when facing systemic barriers like language difficulties, non-recognition of foreign qualifications, and discrimination,” says April Spivack, associate professor at Hanken School of Economics and PI of the research project. “When migrants have no where else to turn, these entrepreneurial activities in the informal economy provide essential income for migrant families. But migrants having to turn to informal channels raises critical questions about labor rights, social protection, and economic integration.”

The research project will examine both displaced people and voluntary migrants, using surveys, focus groups, and in-depth interviews to understand their experiences in the informal economy. The research team aims to identify factors that facilitate or hinder migrant integration into formalised economies and provide evidence-based policy recommendations.

“We hope our findings will help policymakers design more inclusive approaches that support migrant entrepreneurs in formalising their economic engagement, to generate mutually beneficial solutions for productive socio-economic integration into host countries.”

The project, Exploring the causes and impacts of migrant entrepreneurial engagement in Nordic's informal economy: Finland and Sweden as case study brings together a diverse research team with expertise in entrepreneurship, migration studies, and mixed-methods research and is conducted in a partnership with Umeå University. The project is for two years.