This paper focuses on immigrant entrepreneurship in in the Aosta Valley, an Alpine region in northern Italy. It aims to investigate their experience as entrepreneurs in this remote mountainous region, analysing whether they successfully develop their business, whether they integrate into the local community, and thus contribute to the socio-economic development of such a mountainous region. In addition, it tries to analyse which (location) factors attract (or not attract) immigrant entrepreneurs in this type of regions.
The paper follows a mixed approach, quantitative and qualitative. The key characteristics of immigrant entrepreneurship in Aosta valley (e.g. sectoral specialization, nationality, etc.) are quantitatively analysed using the main official statistics available at the local level. From a qualitative point of view, we analyse the findings coming from a field investigation based on a set of case-studies of immigrant entrepreneurs from different countries, and working in different sectors.
The outcomes show that immigrants make a a positive contribution to the development of remote mountain regions like the Aosta valley, as they bring new entrepreneurial energies in many sectors. Regional and local development policies should target more and support more immigrant entrepreneurship.