The chapter first highlights the methodological challenges of reconstructing the history of the “idea of innovation” and discusses how historians of technology have recently approached this concept. Despite the absence of thorough analyses informed by conceptual history, the history of ideas and discourse, or historical semantics, the chapter argues that searching for the term’s historical core meaning is not worthwhile. Instead, it is necessary to reconstruct the term’s changing meanings and connotations. The chapter then outlines the current state of research, particularly the history of the term’s usage from preindustrial times until today, as reconstructed by Benoît Godin. Particular attention is paid to the term’s rise to prominence as a key concept in economic theory and policymaking during the Cold War, as well as its subsequent extension into a social imperative and pathos formula. Finally, the chapter formulates desiderata for future research.