“The Swedish Dream” - Immigrant entrepreneurship in Sweden between 1880 and 1910

Abstract: This thesis analyzes the impact of immigrant entrepreneurship on factory ownership in Sweden between 1880-1910. During the Swedish industrial revolution, international migration increased due to significantly changing industries all around Europe. The purpose of this thesis was to evaluate whether immigrant entrepreneurs were more likely to become factory owners compared to native Swedes, in the given time period. Moreover, this research examined if there were certain patterns regarding particular immigrant groups owning factories in specific industrial sectors. The results indicate that immigrant entrepreneurs are 1.2% more likely to be factory owners overall, compared to native Swedes. Furthermore, investigating which immigrants have had the highest probabilities of owning factories, it is evident that immigrants from Denmark, Norway, Poland, and UK were dominant players in sectors such as stone and clay products, leather and hide processing and the wood industry.