Collaborative R&D by agribusinesses to trigger knowledge recombination creation, thereby enhancing innovative entrepre- neurial opportunities, is a complex systems management issue. Accordingly, this study constructs a “motivation-capability-trigger” element framework for collaborative R&D in agribusinesses based on Fogg’s Behavior Model. Furthermore, drawing on absorptive capacity theory and incorporating a configurational perspective and a complex mediation model, it analyzes how different elements of collaborative R&D jointly configure to drive knowledge recombination creation within agribusiness. This study finds that high knowledge recombination creation can be achieved through three types of collaborative R&D configurations: orientation-driven, market-driven, and institution-driven. These configurations not only directly facilitate the realization of innovative entrepreneurial opportunities but also indirectly promote such realization through knowledge recombination creation; that is, knowledge recombination creation plays a complex mediating role between the three configurations and the realization of innovative entrepreneurial opportunities. The findings have important theoretical and practical implications for how agribusinesses can promote the realization of innovative entrepreneurial opportunities through collaborative R&D strategies.