Networked R&D has faced upheaval over the last decade. However, in order to fully benefit from collaboration, firms need to embrace paradoxes that are inherent in R&D networks. We therefore investigate how orchestration (rather than traditional management) of relationships by improving absorptive capacity, network stability, and innovation appropriability contribute to the success of both the network and the individual firm, from the firms point of view. We use survey data collected from 213 R&D-intensive firms. The results indicate that diverging effects emerge regarding alliance and firm succes  stability and absorptive capacity are most relevant for the former, and absorptive capacity and appropriability for the latter.