The research focuses on the presence and role of immigrants who have entered the entrepreneurial society of the Veneto region, which is the second most industrialized and small business minded region in Italy. Today there are 2.537 foreign craftsmen in Veneto, Mostly coming from Eastern Europe (44%) and Asia. The main flow comes from China, from the countries of the former Yugoslavia (especially Macedonia), from Morocco and Albania. Comparing the number of immigrant enterpreneurs with the native born populations of the Veneto region, we obtain a sort of entrepreneurship inclination index. China ranks first, followed by Macedonia, while Albanians, Romanians, and Moroccans show low rates of enterpreneurship and, we may assume, a stronger inclination for subordinates jobs. It is interesting to notice how the building and garment industries are preferred by the so-called "ethnic business". In particular, Eastern Europeans are more numerous in the building trade, while the Chinese prevail in the garment and in the food industry and catering. The number of immigrant entrepreneurs in the Veneto region has risen very quickly: in the last two years, half of all small businesses in the region (52%) were run by foreigners. Clearly, we are at the beginning of a cultural and economic phenomenon already familiar to other European countries such as Germany, France and the United Kingdom. The Veneto region will experience a fast growth in immigrant run small businesses. This represents an welcome opportunity to form a new generation of "postfordist" entrepreneurs where those capable of assuming and managing risk and uncertainty will become increasingly necessary for local growth and development.

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Italy small scale industry craft production entrepreneur immigrant population