Female Entrepreneurship and Support Systems in the North-West of Italy: Statistical Analysis on the Impact of Caregiving Services and Female Foreign Labour on the Foundation of Female-led Innovative Startups

This thesis examines the impact of female immigrants on the foundation of new female-led innovative startups, particularly in relation to local care services, by developing a linear regression model. Starting from the work of Patricia Cortés, the study argues that low-skilled female immigrants significantly contribute to reducing domestic and caregiving responsibilities, therefore enabling high-skilled native women to pursue entrepreneurial careers and potentially increasing the rate of female-led innovative startups. The research is grounded in a comprehensive literature review that exploits the theoretical frameworks regarding the dynamics of innovative startups and female entrepreneurship. At first, it highlights the determinants enabling the founding of new innovative businesses on a general level, and then within the context of the North-West of Italy. Afterwards, a linear regression model with multiple regressors is constructed to analyse provincial-level data on female-led startups from the databases of AIDA and the Register of Innovative Startups, foreign population statistics, and the availability of local childcare services from the National Institute of Statistics. The model controls for demographic and economic variables that might also impact the foundation rate of startups. The findings provide significant insights for developing strategies to promote female-led innovation in startups and support a diverse entrepreneurial ecosystem.