As GOPA marks the launch of GOPA Pro and moves into a new organisational structure with three focused pillar companies – GOPA Pro, GOPA Tech and GOPA Com. – we sat down with Dr. Martin Güldner and Thomas Franke to discuss what this milestone means for the future of the company.
In the interview, they reflect on why GOPA is transforming now, how changing market needs, digitalisation and AI are shaping international development cooperation, and what clients and partners can expect from the new structure.
Their message is clear: GOPA is building on 60 years of experience while preparing for the next chapter – with stronger collaboration, clearer expertise and the same commitment to quality, partnership and measurable impact.
Why is GOPA introducing a new organisational structure with three focused pillar companies?
Thomas Franke: We are introducing this new structure because the world around us is changing rapidly. Our clients’ challenges are becoming more complex and increasingly interconnected across sectors. At the same time, technological change is accelerating, and we need to invest substantially in digitalisation, AI-based solutions and reliable data management systems. In addition, we want to reduce organisational complexity – for our clients, for ourselves, and for our local and regional offices.
Over the past 60 years, GOPA has grown into one of Europe’s strongest professional services providers in international cooperation, engineering and communication. This is something we can all be proud of. I am personally very enthusiastic that GOPA has the courage to reinvent itself.
This is not only about changing our organisational structure. We want to create a better environment for collaboration, stronger teamwork, greater alignment in management, and shared responsibility across vertical and horizontal units and departments. We also aim to support behavioural change through modern HR standards and processes.
In my view, the ability to reinvent oneself is essential in order to remain competitive and resilient for the future. It is part of GOPA’s DNA and one of the reasons why we have been successful in the market for 60 years – a remarkable achievement for a consulting company.
With GOPA Pro, GOPA Tech and GOPA Com., each company represents one of our three core pillars: consulting, engineering and communication. GOPA Pro brings together the complementary expertise and proven delivery track record of GOPA AFC, GOPA Worldwide and GOPA PACE. GOPA Tech represents our engineering expertise in energy, water and transport infrastructure. GOPA Com. brings together our communication and public engagement capabilities, helping to communicate Europe and its values both within Europe and beyond, including through diplomacy and outreach programmes.
Which current trends or challenges in international development cooperation are most relevant for GOPA?
Dr. Martin Güldner: International development cooperation is undergoing a fundamental shift. The traditional North-South model of “aid as charity” is increasingly being replaced by equal partnerships, blended finance and local ownership. Driven by tighter public budgets and complex global crises, the focus is moving away from passive aid-recipient models towards mobilising private investment, addressing global public goods such as climate change and health security, and strengthening mutual economic cooperation.
The approach of moving “from donor to investor”, promoted by the US administration, the UK, many development banks and others, has a more transactional focus. This will lead to a new understanding of impact – both in the countries where we work and in our own societies.
The four divisions defined within GOPA Pro, and the way our departments are being combined, reflect this international agenda. I mentioned the need for behavioural change, and this is particularly important because today’s challenges are no longer isolated. Climate change, economic development, energy security, migration, governance, fragility, digitalisation and social inclusion are all connected. Our clients increasingly need partners who can work across sectors and accompany them from policy and strategy through to implementation and measurable results.
A second key trend is the impact of AI and ongoing digitalisation. This affects not only how we work, but also how our clients perceive our work. With AI, identifying problems and finding solutions can become faster and more efficient. Knowledge, including sector-specific knowledge, is becoming more widely accessible. The ability to find, structure and apply this knowledge through AI is becoming increasingly important.
At the same time, what will make the difference is our understanding of local conditions, combined with real-life experience on the ground. This will influence both the number and the qualification profiles of our staff. It also means that we must remain willing to travel, stay close to our projects and always stay ahead of technological change.
AI is changing our jobs. Investing in AI therefore also means investing in people. The practical use of AI should become a precondition for employment, future recruitment and promotion, and it should be part of staff assessment and development. With our Salesforce project, we have already laid the foundation for a consistent GOPA-wide data management system.
Another very important trend is local ownership. Our work must not only deliver technically sound solutions; it must strengthen institutions, empower people and create lasting local capacity.
For GOPA, these trends confirm that our new structure is the right step. We need strong technical pillars, but we also need to connect people and expertise across these pillars in an intelligent way – supported by AI and new systems such as Salesforce. This is exactly what GOPA Pro, GOPA Tech and GOPA Com. are designed to do.
What will change for clients and partners?
Thomas Franke: The most important message for our clients and partners is continuity. They will continue working with the same trusted teams, experts and contact persons they know today. Ongoing contracts, proposals and cooperation arrangements will continue without interruption under the applicable legal entities.
GOPA Pro GmbH will become the legal successor of GOPA AFC and GOPA Worldwide. GOPA PACE will continue as the same Belgian legal entity under its new name, GOPA Pro S.A. From an operational and contractual perspective, continuity is therefore fully ensured.
What will genuinely improve is the strength behind these teams. With GOPA Pro, we are creating a stronger consulting platform that brings together complementary expertise, technical capacity and many years of successful project delivery. At the same time, GOPA’s three-company structure will make it easier for clients to understand and access the full scope of our capabilities.
For our clients, this means the same trusted quality and commitment – but organised in a more agile, more connected and more coordinated way. We will be able to bring the right expertise together faster, design more tailored solutions and respond more effectively to complex challenges.
What are you personally looking forward to as GOPA reaches this important milestone?
Dr. Martin Güldner: Personally, I am looking forward to seeing “One GOPA” become more visible – not only in our structure, but in our daily work. This must not remain something that exists only on paper, in an organisational chart or in a formal document. We need behavioural change, aligned processes and a shared “One GOPA culture” across all our headquarters, local subsidiaries and projects.
For me, GOPA is an exceptional and exciting company. We have been present in the market for a long time, and with our four letters – GOPA – we are sometimes seen almost as an institution. But at the same time, we remain young, agile and willing to reinvent ourselves.
Our internal “Thanksgiving” project is an important milestone, but it is about much more than a new name or a new website. It is about bringing people, expertise and experience together in a more powerful way. Across GOPA, we have colleagues with tremendous knowledge, commitment and entrepreneurial spirit. I look forward to seeing how this new structure enables them to collaborate even more closely.
Of course, transformation is never without effort. It requires patience, guidance and openness. But it also creates energy. It gives us the opportunity to simplify processes, learn from each other, build a shared culture and prepare GOPA for the future.
I am looking forward to the next chapter – together as One GOPA, with GOPA Pro, GOPA Tech and GOPA Com., ready to serve our clients with full commitment to quality, partnership and measurable impact.