The Use of New Technologies by Migrant Entrepreneurs in Two European Cities

Abstract

Over the last 40 years, the growth and implementation of new technologies (in particular, ICTs) have made it possible to instantly virtually cross national borders to establish, enjoy, and maintain social links. This also applies to migrant entrepreneurs, and even more so to transnational migrant entrepreneurs, i.e. migrants who carry out business activities in connection with other countries. Previous literature has frequently underlined the connection between ICTs and transnational business practices, albeit implicitly. However, few studies have focused on the role of new technologies in transnational business activities carried out by migrants. Based on the empirical evidence generated through 70 interviews with Moroccan transnational and domestic entrepreneurs living in Amsterdam and Milan, the chapter addresses this role, stressing that ICTs are most important for migrants running a transnational business. First, ICTs make it easier to start and develop the cross-border business, by helping to reduce both the necessary time and the financial costs; secondly, different forms of communication (synchronous vs. asynchronous) are used according to different purposes; finally, transnational entrepreneurs need constant physical mobility to make ICTs effective in business relations.