Published 09/12/2025 - Migration and integration are key issues for both societal development and social cohesion. They involve factors such as employment, language skills, social networks, and feelings of belonging and security. The process is shaped by both the circumstances of migrants and the structures, regulations, and reception systems of society.

The new center aims to produce and disseminate research-based knowledge about how migration policies, business models, and working conditions interact and influence integration and social sustainability in Sweden. The goal is to contribute to a more sustainable long-term integration of third-country nationals, in close collaboration with key societal actors.

"We want to deepen the understanding of how policy, business, and civil society can work together to create effective systems for migration and integration. This funding enables us to build a strong, interdisciplinary research environment with both local relevance and international reach," says Lin Lerpold.

The center is built on collaboration at several levels and will focus not only on labor market integration but also on other dimensions of sustainable integration. In addition to research, it will host roundtable discussions, policy forums, and other activities together with external partners.

"Entrusting the Stockholm School of Economics with leading this initiative is a recognition of our socially relevant research and our ability to work in close dialogue with both public and private actors," says Lars Strannegård, President of the Stockholm School of Economics.

The center will be led by Associate Professor Lin Lerpold together with a steering group consisting of Professors Laurence Romani, Karl Wennberg, and Örjan Sjöberg, all at SSE. The center will also involve several national and international researchers and will recruit five postdoctoral researchers with broad expertise in areas such as migration, political science, sociology, economics, and organizational studies.