Immigrant entrepreneurs are part of Finland’s future growth

When we talk about Finland’s future labour and skills needs, the discussion often starts with one question: where will we find enough skilled people?

It is an important question. Finland’s population is ageing, the working-age population is under pressure, and many companies already struggle to find the skills they need.

But there is another side to this discussion that deserves more attention.

People who move to Finland are not only potential employees. They may also become entrepreneurs, employers, growth entrepreneurs or the next owners of existing Finnish businesses.

This is why immigration should not be discussed only as a labour market or integration issue. It is also a question of entrepreneurship, renewal and economic growth.

Finland is a country of small businesses, and the entrepreneurial landscape is changing. Entrepreneurs are ageing, many companies will need successors, and entrepreneurship among people with an immigrant background is becoming increasingly visible.

In Vantaa, over 50 per cent of newly established companies are founded by entrepreneurs with an immigrant background. In Pirkanmaa, the figure is more than 30 per cent. This is a strong reminder that immigration can bring Finland much more than additional labour. It can bring new companies, new jobs, international networks and new growth.

A good example is Alaa Salonen, who was named Pirkanmaa’s Immigrant Entrepreneur of the Year 2026. In just 11 years in Finland, he has built and developed a business with ambitions reaching international markets. His story shows in a very concrete way what can happen when skills, ambition and entrepreneurial drive are given room to grow.

We should also think more boldly about business succession. Many Finnish entrepreneurs will retire in the coming years, and viable companies will need new owners. Why could a person who has moved to Finland not be one of them?

At the same time, services supporting international recruitment, integration, business advice and access to networks must work in practice.

For a large company, international recruitment may be handled by HR specialists. In a small company, the entrepreneur may have to figure out recruitment, permits, language questions and onboarding alone.

The same applies to immigrant entrepreneurs. They need easy access to business advice, financing, networks and support for growth.

Many organisations and service providers are already doing their best to support immigrant entrepreneurs, and there is a great deal of valuable work being done across Finland. In the future, however, we need even closer and more seamless cooperation between different actors.

Support should be easy to find and easy to access. An entrepreneur should not have to move from one organisation to another, collecting small pieces of information along the way. The aim should be a clearer and more coordinated service path, where immigrant entrepreneurs are actively included in existing support services and can quickly find the right guidance, contacts and networks.

We should also ask whether integration services recognise entrepreneurship strongly enough.

Do we see a newcomer mainly as a client of integration services, or also as a future entrepreneur, employer, innovator or business successor?

That difference in perspective matters.

Businesses themselves must also be involved in forecasting the future. Companies are often the first to notice when skills become harder to find, when recruitment starts to slow growth or when customer demand changes.

And as the number of entrepreneurs with an immigrant background grows, their experiences should become a stronger part of this shared picture.

Finland’s labour market will become more international. So will our business community.

The real question is not whether this change will happen.

The question is how well we prepare for it and how much potential we are willing to recognise.

A person who arrives in Finland today may employ ten people in a few years. They may take over a local company, build an international business or create something entirely new.

That is why immigrant entrepreneurship should not be treated as a separate issue on the margins of immigration policy.

It is entrepreneurship policy. It is growth policy. And ultimately, it is about Finland’s future.

Laura Helasjoki-Ristimäki

Chair of the Labour Market Council, Suomen Yrittäjät
Member of the Board, Suomen Yrittäjät
Board Observer, Committee for Immigrant Entrepreneurs, Suomen Yrittäjät