Amazon has unveiled an upgraded version of its Proteus autonomous warehouse robot as part of a €10bn ($11.63bn) investment programme to modernise its European fulfilment and delivery network.
The announcement came at the company’s Delivering the Future event in London, UK, where Amazon outlined plans to expand European operations through robotics, workforce development and infrastructure improvements, alongside the creation of 25,000 jobs across the continent.
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The redesigned Proteus extends beyond the dock areas where its predecessor currently operates across 25 US fulfilment centres.
The new model is built to function across both fulfilment and delivery facilities, moving containers between workstations and helping staff transport goods around sites.
It is said to incorporate AI capabilities that allow employees to assign tasks through natural language instructions, removing the need for specialised programming.
Amazon said the robot is designed to handle physically demanding work – such as hauling heavy carts and covering long distances within facilities – freeing staff to focus on inventory management and quality control.
Proteus is currently in laboratory testing, with European deployment expected in the first half of 2027.
The broader investment plan also includes a wider rollout of Vulcan, Amazon’s touch-enabled robotic system, and STARK, a tote-handling solution designed to work alongside employees.
Initially piloted in Barcelona, Spain, STARK is slated for introduction across 15 European sites by 2027.
On the delivery side, Amazon is extending its Amazon Now rapid delivery service to Manchester and Birmingham later this year, having launched in parts of London.
The company is also scaling its sub same-day delivery service to more than 25 European locations this year, including Coventry, UK, and Nürnberg, Germany.
Amazon said it invested more than €60bn across Europe in 2025, which it described as its largest annual regional outlay.
The company currently supports more than 1.5 million jobs across Europe, including 230,000 direct employees.
