Internal migration experience and innovation: evidence from entrepreneurs of small and medium enterprises in China

This study examined the impact of returnee entrepreneurs' internal migration experience on enterprise innovation and explored possible mechanisms. Using data from the 2018 Enterprise Survey for Innovation and Entrepreneurship in China (ESIEC), which collected a large sample of entrepreneurs from small and medium enterprises, the results of our study showed that entrepreneurs' internal migration experience positively affected enterprise innovation activities and expenditure. Further, the effects were larger for the entrepreneurs who had the first migration at a younger age and had a longer duration of migration exposure. The mechanism analysis suggested that human capital accumulation was a potential channel underlying the innovation consequences of entrepreneurs' internal migration experience.