Ever-increasing unpredictability has led to recognition of increasing importance of innovation capabilities of businesses. In spite of recognizing such an important issue of innovation capability, not much research has been conducted on the relationship between innovation capabilities in business planning, R&D, commercialization and innovation performance. The current research, thus, intends to provide an empirical analysis of the effect of smart farm companies’ innovation activities on their innovation performance. Classifying innovation capabilities into three categories of planning, R&D and commercialization capability, the current research aims to identify the effect of each category on sales and patent acquired. Moreover, it aims to identify the moderating effect of governmental policy and support for technology on the relationship between innovation activities and performance. It was found that planning, R&D and commercialization capabilities exerted a positive impact on business performance. It was also found that governmental policies and support helped enhance business performance.

Today, innovation is achieved by challenging the existing paradigm through cross-field collaboration, and R&D innovation plays a particularly crucial role. This study analyzed the effects of R&D innovation activities on business management performance in South Korea and examined the role that patents play in various R&D innovation activities. Panel regression and moderating effect analyses were conducted on small- and medium-sized venture enterprises that undertook new technology projects over five years (2015–2019). The results showed that R&D innovation activities had a significantly positive effect on both revenue, an indicator of business growth, and operating profit, an indicator of profitability. This implies that such activities play a positive role in management activities. Thus, enterprises should consider R&D innovation activities from a business growth strategy perspective. Additionally, the analysis showed that a firm’s capacity to hold patents on R&D innovation activities has a positive moderating effect on business management performance. This study is significant, as it reveals the cause-and-effect relationship between R&D innovation actives and business management performance as well as the role of various types of innovation. The results could help enterprises to seamlessly implement innovation activities in the future.