Abstract: Some previous studies suggested that a position which can make a firm get more external resources in social network means the firm has advantages for improving its R&D performance. However, the results of some empirical studies did not support this opinion. In this study, we analyse this contradiction between theory and actual. We put forward a new perspective to understand the relationship between social network position and R&D performance. Specifically, we argue that the technology accumulation has a threshold effect in the relationship. We constructed a bipartite social network of Chinese listed firms. The network position of focal firms is measured by structural holes, degree centrality, betweenness centrality, and closeness centrality. Moreover, we calculate the firms’ R&D performance by Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) method. The results of the panel threshold regression model show that the technology accumulation’s threshold effect is significant. We also find different types of network positions have different influences on a firm’s R&D performance. Previous studies have shown that network position’s influence on R&D performance is non-linear. However, we find that previous studies about the nonlinear relationship of network position and R&D performance always focus on external impact and the firm’s adaptive capacity to the environment, but few studies are related to the firm’s internal technology accumulation’s influence on firm’s demand for external resources. Finally, we discussed the study results combined with previous studies.