Abstract: From the perspective of organizational imprint, this paper studies the impact of resource imprinting due to the external economic recession on the future innovation strategy choices of enterprises. Using the companies that are established between 1995 and 2010 and listed in the SME board and the GEM as a sample, a GEE model was constructed for empirical testing. The results show that enterprises established during the economic recession have formed habits of conservative investment. Under the continuous effect of resource scarcity, they also tend to choose conservative exploitative innovation in the future. However, with the increase in the intensity of investment in innovation resources, the relationship between the scarcity of resources and the choice of innovative strategies for enterprises has weakened. In addition, CEOs with technical backgrounds can enhance the companies’ sense of innovation and special risk preference for technology research and development, which will also weaken the relationship between the lack of resources and the future choice of exploitative innovation.