Practices and Social Relations in Foreign Entrepreneurship in Catania and Messina

This chapter investigates migrant entrepreneurship in the metropolitan contexts of Catania and Messina. Building on the growing economic and social relevance of migrant-owned businesses, the study explores their characteristics, relational dynamics, and key challenges, with particular attention to territorial embeddedness and interactions with the local ecosystem. The research adopts an integrated methodological approach combining quantitative and qualitative tools, with a primary focus on semi-structured interviews conducted with migrant entrepreneurs and key actors such as accountants, Chambers of Commerce, and trade associations. Findings show that migrant entrepreneurship is often a pathway to autonomy, evolving from necessity into a life project, with social networks playing a key role in business creation and consolidation. At the same time, significant challenges persist, including limited access to credit, language barriers, bureaucratic complexity, and weak institutional engagement. The study highlights implications for training interventions aimed at strengthening access to financial, informational, and relational resources.