Chief Fusionist | Futuring Expert | Fractional Chief Innovation Officer

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

I’m Upen Barve, and I fuse worlds others see as separate. From Berlin to Singapore,
from boardrooms to space labs, I help visionaries create futures that don’t exist yet.

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Fusing Worlds, Creating Futures

Three dimensions of innovation, infinite possibilities

01

Business of Futuring

FRACTIONAL CXO & FUTURING STRATEGY

Need executive innovation firepower without full-time overhead? As your Fractional Chief Innovation Officer, I architect ecosystems that turn vision into velocity.

02

Business of Innovating

INNOVATION CONSULTING & TRANSFORMATION

From inspiring leadership immersion weeks to designing new team structures and embedding repeatable innovation processes – I don’t just advise, I build alongside you.

03

Business of Ecosystems

ECOSYSTEM BUILDING & STRATEGIC ALLIANCES

Whether bridging continents (Berlin-Singapore-India), connecting corporates with startups, or building innovation networks – I orchestrate ecosystems where collaboration creates competitive advantage.

our services

Fractional CXO

Part-time executive firepower. Full-time impact. I parachute into your C-suite to architect innovation ecosystems, build strategic alliances, and accelerate your moonshots - without the overhead of a full-time hire.
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EXECUTIVE & LEADERSHIP COACHING

From Fortune 500 C-levels to ambitious scale-ups - I coach leaders on Future-Back Thinking, managing exponential growth, and building innovation cultures that thrive.
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Customer Intimacy & Ecosystems

25 years of guiding SAP's top customers through future opportunities taught me one thing: real innovation happens at the intersections. I help you map your ecosystem, identify white spaces, and forge alliances that unlock new markets.
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Building Innovation Structures

From zero to launch: I design and implement innovation functions, set up transformation teams, and embed the methods, tools, and mindsets needed to make innovation repeatable - not accidental.
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Keynotes & Panels That Inspire

Need a speaker who electrifies audiences? From ECADay keynotes to Lufthansa's Flying Lab (yes, a conference in an aircraft), I create and deliver experiences that challenge thinking and spark action.
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Skills Transformation Programs

The workforce of tomorrow needs different muscles. I design Space Optics Academies, innovation labs, and career transition modules that prepare teams for the futures we're building together.
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our Approach

WE SPOTLIGHT THE PATH BY ARTICULATING A FUTURE THAT CAN BE DESIGNED & BUILT TOGETHER

Innovation isn’t a solo act. It’s a fusion of diverse minds, bold visions, and
pragmatic execution.

My approach is simple but powerful:

  1. FUTURE-BACK THINKING: Start with the desired future, not today’s constraints.
  2. ECOSYSTEM ORCHESTRATION: Innovation happens at intersections; between sectors, cultures, and disciplines.
  3. HANDS-ON TRANSFORMATION: From strategy to structure, I don’t just advise – I roll up my sleeves and build alongside you.
  4. CULTURAL FUSION: With experience across 3 continents (Berlin, Singapore, USA),
    I bring global perspective and local precision.


Whether you’re a Fortune 500 navigating disruption or a scale-up chasing moonshots, I help you identify possible futures and make the desired ones real.

As I always say:

“Using our imagination, articulating visions, supporting it with new methods to safeguard the NOW and successfully transform to create the NEW is key to building and inspiring the Future!”

Let's Map Your Future >

Why Us?

Innovative
Thinking

I don’t do incremental improvements. I fuse disciplines, cultures, and technologies others see as separate. From hosting conferences in aircraft to blending AI with arts, I thrive in the in-between – where breakthrough happens.

> Get strategies that competitors can’t copy because they emerge from unique combinations.

25 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE

From Director of SAP Innovation Center Network to VP of Research & Innovation at SAP SE – I’ve spearheaded 100+ pioneering business initiatives globally, co-founded the Future Hub @ SAP, and earned 2 patent contributions.

> Get battle-tested wisdom, not theory. I’ve seen what works at scale and what fails fast.

Professional
Team

I bring my ecosystem: Founding Partner of German Indian Innovation Corridor (GIIC), Board Member at Asia Berlin, member of Band4Transformation senior executive network. When you work with me, you tap into a global web of innovators.

> Your challenges get multi-perspective solutions, backed by world-class networks.

Data-Driven

Certified Global Business Transformation Master (SAP Business Transformation Academy & FHNW Switzerland). Masters in eBusiness. I combine creative vision with analytical rigor – using Design Thinking, Future-Making Techniques, and performance metrics.

> Innovation with accountability. We measure what matters and iterate fast.

our clients

"Having Upen as our Fractional CXO was a game-changer. He didn't just give us a strategy deck - he built our innovation function from the ground up, recruited the right team, and left us with frameworks we still use today."
John DoeCEO
John Doe
"Upen's keynote at our conference wasn't just inspiring - it was transformative. Attendees were still talking about the Slingshot Model weeks later, and several have implemented his frameworks in their organizations."
John DoeCEO
John Doe
"Having Upen as our Fractional CXO was a game-changer. He didn't just give us a strategy deck - he built our innovation function from the ground up, recruited the right team, and left us with frameworks we still use today."
John DoeCEO
John Doe

EVERY IDEA. EVERY INNOVATION.

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ready to take your business to the next level?

Get in touch today and receive a complimentary consultation.

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Ready to take your business to the next level?

Reach out to us today and get a complimentary business review and consultation.