Abstract: Taking 209 high-tech enterprises in Yangtze River Delta as research samples, this paper studies the relationship between innovation networks′ relationship management ability and explorative cooperative innovation from the view of network social capital and innovation search theory, and explores the moderating effect of network centrality. The results show that: the abilities of initiating, communication and coordination, which belong to an enterprise′s relationship management ability, are beneficial to build the relationship and interaction with other enterprises, and the coordination and resolution of the conflicts,and affects the explorative cooperative innovation through the mechanisms of reputation, promise and trust;the network centrality has negative moderating effect on the relationship between relationship management ability and explorative cooperative innovation.

Key words: relationship management ability, network centrality, exploring cooperative innovation