Amazon’s Expansion in Europe: A Major Investment Push
Amazon is making a significant move in Europe, with over €10 billion allocated for the expansion and modernization of its warehouse and delivery network across the continent. This announcement was made at Amazon’s Delivering the Future event in London on Thursday, highlighting the company’s commitment to the region.
The investment comes after Amazon reported investing more than €60 billion in Europe in 2025, marking it as the company’s largest annual investment on the continent. This shows the scale of Amazon’s ambitions in Europe.
Focus on Robotics and Automation
Part of the new investment will be directed towards robotics and automation within its fulfillment centers. These systems are designed to handle physically demanding tasks such as moving heavy loads or repetitive lifting, allowing employees to focus on other roles within the facilities.
One of the key technologies included in this investment is a new version of Proteus, Amazon’s autonomous warehouse robot. The company claims that this updated model will be capable of understanding human language, enabling it to follow instructions more effectively.
Expansion of Fulfillment Centers
The investment will also support the expansion and upgrading of fulfillment centers, which are large warehouses where orders are processed, packed, and sent out. This includes the addition of new technology and an increase in capacity across Amazon’s European operations.
While Amazon did not specify all the European fulfillment centers that will receive funding under the new €10 billion plan, the company’s fulfillment network already spans several countries, including the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia.
Job Creation and Worker Training
In addition to infrastructure development, the investment will support the creation of 25,000 additional fulfillment jobs across Europe in the coming years. Amazon has also announced a $1 billion (€860 million) fund for targeted worker training by 2030, as part of a broader $2.5 billion global skills expansion program.
This funding aims to help employees train for roles in areas such as cybersecurity, software development, logistics, renewable energy, and mechatronics. The program will be available in some European countries, including the UK.
Amazon’s Growing Presence in Europe
The figures highlight the extent of Amazon’s growing presence in Europe. The company states that it already supports over 1.5 million jobs across the continent, including 230,000 direct Amazon employees, more than 400,000 people in its extended workforce, including contractors and seasonal workers, and over 600,000 jobs linked to the 200,000 European small businesses and entrepreneurs that sell through Amazon.
Europe’s Challenges in the Global Tech Race
The announcement comes at a time when Europe is grappling with the loss of some of its most promising companies to the United States. The region is also competing in the global race for AI and robotics, where China and the United States have advanced rapidly.
According to a report by former European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi, nearly 30% of start-ups founded in Europe between 2008 and 2021 that later became unicorns moved their headquarters abroad, most to the United States.
Efforts to Support European Start-Ups
European policymakers are working on measures to make it easier for companies to start, scale up, and remain in Europe. One such initiative is EU Inc., which would allow start-ups to register once and operate more easily across the bloc.
This effort is part of a broader push to ensure that Europe remains competitive in the global tech landscape and retains its innovative companies.
