The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word PIONEERS
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Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Inventors" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case inventors = pioneers.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does PIONEERS mean?
PIONEERS noun- One who goes before, as into the wilderness, preparing the way for others to follow.
- A person or other entity who is first or among the earliest in any field of inquiry, enterprise, or progress.
- A soldier detailed or employed to form roads, dig trenches, and make bridges, as an army advances; a sapper.
- A member of any of several European organizations advocating abstinence from alcohol.
- A child of 10–16 years in the former Soviet Union, in the second of the three stages in becoming a member of the Communist Party.
- To be the first to do or achieve (something), preparing the way for others to follow.