Abstract:Mission-oriented innovation policy has emerged as a new policy paradigm in response to societal challenges, playing a crucial role in enhancing innovation efficiency and guiding the direction of technological progress. To clarify its trajectory of practice and theoretical development, this study systematically reviews the research landscape, practical evolution, conceptual transformation, key characteristics, and typological classifications of mission-oriented innovation policy. Furthermore, it explores future research directions within the context of China. The findings reveal that mission-oriented innovation policy exhibits diverse practical manifestations, progressing through three developmental phases: ideational emergence, nascent establishment, and iterative transformation. Across these periods, the objectives, scope, driving forces, organizational frameworks, and participating actors have evolved in tandem with historical contexts. The theoretical connotations of mission-oriented innovation policy have continuously expanded, shifting towards a more structured articulation of policy content, functions, and defining characteristics. Compared to traditional innovation policies, mission-oriented innovation policy demonstrates six distinctive features: directionality, strategic planning, legitimacy, policy coherence, multi-level governance, and dynamic evaluation mechanisms. Among these, strong directionality and strategic planning stand out as the most fundamental distinctions from conventional innovation policies. Finally, considering China's specific context, this study provides insights into potential future research avenues for the development and implementation of mission-oriented innovation policy in the country.