"Economists have long known that innovation is a key driver—perhaps the most important driver—of economic growth.

"What’s less popularly known is just how much immigrants are driving this innovation. As we learn more about the quirks of our modern knowledge economy, a fascinating data set is emerging on the impact of immigrants on innovation, from scientific breakthroughs to new inventions to business creation. 

“'I’m always trying to understand what affects innovation,' Shai Bernstein, an economist at Stanford University, told me over the phone. He has previously studied the effects of public equity markets and the role of venture capital on innovation. 'And then, clearly, immigration became a very big topic over the last few years.'

"Then, in August 2018, a letter that 59 chief executives of the Business Roundtable sent to the Trump administration caught Bernstein’s attention. It warned that current immigration policies inflicted “substantial harm on U.S. competitiveness,” discouraging talented and skilled workers from coming to the United States.

"That got Bernstein asking questions. 'We became really interested in trying to understand how to quantify innovation,' he said. 'Before we even talk about policy, we don’t even really know the underlying number … what’s the contribution of immigrants to innovation? What’s the number?'” - Stephanie Tam

Spoiler: It's a lot.

Article: How Immigrants Drive Entrepreneurship and Innovation