Amazon is opening the doors of its Operations Innovation Lab, located near Vercelli in the Northern Italian region of Piedmont, to free guided tours for the public. Starting today, anyone from start-up founders to curious students and Amazon customers interested in how they receive their package can subscribe for a visit to the lab and discover how technology is shaping the future of logistics.
Situated just an hour’s drive from the Italian Alps, the Amazon Operations Innovation Lab is one of Europe’s most advanced centres for robotic innovation, an international centre of excellence where scientists and engineers from all over the world develop new technologies for our fulfilment centre (FC) network. They work together to design, test, and implement cutting-edge technological solutions that enhance the customer and employee experience, providing a safer working environment and upskilling opportunities while reducing packaging materials. Robotics and technology play a crucial role in enhancing our operations network, while artificial intelligence (AI) enables us to scale these advancements for a global operation serving millions of customers worldwide.
“We’re delighted to officially launch free guided public tours at our Amazon Operations Innovation Lab so that members of the public can meet the people behind the package and experience the cutting-edge technology that Amazon has been implementing to support our people and help us deliver for customers,” said Stefano La Rovere, Director, Global Robotics - Mechatronics & Sustainable Packaging at Amazon. “The lab is the heart of our innovation in Europe, a place where a diverse and international team of engineers and scientists are dedicated to finding innovative ways to enhance the experience of our employees and our customers. By opening the doors of our innovation lab for free to the public, we hope to inspire customers, schools, and start-ups about the potential for technology to create a better and safer future of work.”
A glimpse into Amazon's operational innovation
The guided tour is suitable for all guests aged six years and above, allowing anyone interested to take a close look at how Amazon develops and tests technology to better support employees and deliver for customers all across Europe.
To book the one hour tour, simply visit the dedicated website and choose from the options available at this link.
The tour is divided into three main parts:
- The Big Picture – Where people learn about Amazon's logistics and processes, and where a digital map shows the journey from click to delivery.
- The Innovation Mindset – Exploring Amazon's approach to innovation and how it is developed. Visitors will see the first prototypes and the evolution of the Flat Sorter Robotic Induct - one of the key pieces of technology on display at the lab.
- The Shop Floor – Where people learn more about innovation and cutting-edge technologies powered by AI that are improving the customer and employee experience across Amazon’s European network. From item sorters and pallet movers, to automated guided vehicles and packaging solutions – these are just some of the innovations that are already making tasks easier and safer for our employees, and deliveries more sustainable.
Videos and infographics make the experience engaging and interactive, allowing visitors to understand how technology really can enable a better way of working for example by reducing repetitive tasks for employees, while also helping them gain new skills that can advance their careers.
Amazon introduced free public tours of our fulfilment centres in Europe in 2015, offering regular behind-the-scenes visits to meet the incredible people who deliver for customers every day. Since then, thousands of visitors have toured more than 14 sites across four European countries to discover the journey a product takes from the moment it enters one of our FCs to when it is dispatched to a customer's address. It's a complex operation that relies on dedicated employees from a wide variety of areas, a lot of coordination, and state-of-the-art technology.
How Amazon is transforming the future of work
Established in 2017, the Amazon Operations Innovation Lab serves as the hub for the global Mechatronics & Sustainable Packaging team. This team was formed in 2019, and by the end of 2024 will have been responsible for the installation of over 1,000 pieces of new technology throughout our European FC network, representing an investment of more than €700 million over the last five years. Robotics and technology play a crucial role in enhancing our operations network, while AI enables us to scale these advancements for our global operation, serving millions of customers worldwide.
With each technology comes different skill requirements, and in many cases the creation of new roles. In fact, over the last decade more than 50,000 jobs across fulfilment centres in Europe have been enhanced by the introduction of new technology, which provides a safer working environment and upskilling opportunities.
To learn more about the advanced technology and robotic systems developed at the Amazon Operations Innovation Lab, click here.
