In this article it is argued that long-term economic growth can be secured by the continual re-invention of the technological and consequential economic bases of local economies. Starting from the perspective of evolutionary path dependence in the development histories of new technologies, the roles of innovators in the creation of new technological pathways are theorised. Historical case study evidence is then presented of the contributions of pioneering innovators to the ongoing long-term production and employment growth in the local economy of Oxfordshire over the last two centuries. Oxfordshire provides an empirical example of one of the more successful local economies in the UK. It is concluded that much of this success has been based on the activities of a small number of innovators who have used national and international knowledge networks to import cutting edge technologies of their time into the local economy in order to start world leading industries in the County. These have formed the bases of its long-term economic performance.

本文认为，可以通过不断重新发明地方经济的技术基础和相应的经济基础来确保长期的经济增长。从新技术发展历史中的进化路径依赖的角度出发，从理论上阐述了创新者在创建新技术路径中的作用。然后提供历史案例研究证据，证明过去两个世纪以来，创新的先驱者对牛津郡当地经济持续的长期生产和就业增长的贡献。牛津郡是英国较成功的地方经济体之一的经验例证。结论是，这种成功很大程度上取决于少数创新者的活动，这些创新者利用国家和国际知识网络将其时代的尖端技术引入当地经济，以在该县启动世界领先的产业。 。这些已成为其长期经济表现的基础。