Study: Migrant entrepreneurship in the city of Essen / MIRAN

North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and especially the Ruhr area are a stronghold of migrant entrepreneurship. Around one in four self-employed persons with a migration background lives in this federal state. Likewise, the proportion of self-employed with a migrant background among all self-employed - at around 25% - is above the national average in NRW. In 2018, 39% of new businesses in NRW were founded by foreign nationals (Kay & Nielsen, 2020). This trend is also evident in Essen, one of the major cities in the center of the Ruhr area. It has been home to migrants of all cohorts for decades and is also a university city and thus a center of attraction for international students. The population of the city of Essen is already characterized by a high degree of diversity. 

It is the declared aim of the city of Essen to make better use of the potential of "migrant entrepreneurs" for the location. In this respect, the study aims to provide more in-depth insights into the status and future economic potential of migrant businesses and, in particular, the group of new immigrants to Essen since 2015. Among other things, the study should provide information on the sectors in which migrant entrepreneurs are active or on the distribution of these companies at the district level. At the same time, the study will answer to what extent migrant entrepreneurs are involved in dual training or act as employers. A look at entrepreneurial ecosystems should also give an impression of the integration of these companies into the local economic networks.