Abstract:Based on the existing literature about scientific research team social capital and innovation performance, determine the scientific research team’s external social capital measure dimensions, puts forward the theoretical assumptions between the scientific research team’s external social capital and innovation performance. Scientific research team’s external social capital can be divided into embedded in academic circles’ and enterprise contact circle’s social capital; Innovation performance can be divided into the innovation behavior and the innovation results. The empirical results show that the scientific research team’s external social capital has a significant positive effect on innovation performance; All dimensions of external social capital has different effect on the innovation behavior and the innovation results; The social capital which embedded in the academic circle and enterprise circles has different effect on innovation performance.