Amazon has announced a substantial £40 billion investment in the UK over the next three years, spanning from 2025 to 2027. This ambitious plan includes building four new fulfilment centres and additional delivery stations nationwide, as well as upgrading and expanding its existing network of over 100 operational buildings across the country. The expansion is set to create thousands of permanent, full-time roles, with most opportunities arising outside London and the South East. Notably, 2,000 jobs will be established at each of two new state-of-the-art fulfilment centres in Hull and Northampton, with further positions planned for new sites in the East Midlands and delivery stations across the UK.

This latest investment reinforces Amazon’s ongoing commitment to supporting growth and productivity in the UK, expecting to innovate and contribute an estimated additional £38 billion to the UK’s GDP. Already one of the UK’s top 10 private sector employers, Amazon employs over 75,000 people nationwide, offering a diverse range of roles including robotics technicians, safety experts, and mechatronic engineers. The company reports a minimum salary of £28,000 per year outside London and £30,000 in London for full-time employees.

Alongside the new operational facilities, the investment package includes expansions at Amazon’s corporate HQ in East London, enhancements to transportation infrastructure across regions to improve delivery speeds, and continued support for the thousands of UK small and medium-sized businesses that sell products via Amazon’s platforms globally. The company is also investing in the UK’s creative industry through redevelopment projects like the historic Bray Film Studios in Berkshire, multimillion-pound skills and training programmes, and original TV and film productions.

A significant portion of the investment—£8 billion—is allocated to building, operating, and maintaining cloud data centres from 2024 to 2028, an aspect led by Amazon Web Services (AWS). This element aims to meet the rising demand for cloud technologies and AI capabilities within the UK, contributing an estimated £14 billion to GDP and supporting about 14,000 full-time jobs annually across the data centre supply chain and related local businesses.

Amazon’s CEO, Andy Jassy, highlighted the company’s deep roots in the UK over 27 years, emphasising its presence in over 100 communities and innovations ranging from drone delivery technology development in Darlington to world-class entertainment production in Bray. Jassy stressed the company’s focus on creating job opportunities beyond London and the South East, thereby strengthening the entire UK economy.

The UK government, under Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, welcomed the announcement as a major endorsement of the country’s business environment and economic strategy. Starmer remarked that this investment would create thousands of new jobs across the UK, offering real career opportunities and skill development, while reinforcing the government’s “Plan for Change” to drive investment and growth. Chancellor Rachel Reeves echoed this sentiment, describing the investment as a powerful affirmation of Britain’s economic strengths, and Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds noted that such investments underline the effectiveness of the government’s modern industrial strategy.

Amazon’s history of investment in the UK spans over a decade, with more than £75 billion invested from 2015 through 2024 in operations geared towards customers and employees. Beyond infrastructure, the company is actively developing research and development hubs in cities like Cambridge, Edinburgh, Swansea, and London, working on cutting-edge technologies including AWS cloud services, Prime Video, Alexa, and logistics innovations.

Amazon also places a strong emphasis on workforce development, providing extensive upskilling opportunities. Their Career Choice programme funds training for nationally recognised qualifications in various fields such as environmental technology, IT, and HGV driving. Moreover, Amazon plans to offer over 1,000 new apprenticeships in 2025, building on more than 5,300 apprenticeships across 62 different programmes since 2013. The company is also supporting the government’s ambition to train 7.5 million UK workers in AI skills by 2030, a significant effort to prepare the workforce for future technology-driven roles.

In the creative sector, Amazon has invested over £4.2 billion since 2010, supporting more than 2,000 people permanently in the UK’s film, TV, music, gaming, and publishing industries. The company’s footprint covers the entire country with major productions taking place at Bray Film Studios, Shepperton Studios, and locations in Wales, Manchester, Edinburgh, and London.

Environmentally, Amazon announced the UK’s largest order of electric heavy goods vehicles (eHGVs), planning to grow its electric truck fleet from nine to over 160, capable of transporting more than 300 million packages annually without exhaust emissions. They remain the world’s largest purchaser of renewable energy, with investments in over 40 solar and wind projects in the UK, collectively generating enough carbon-free energy to power around 860,000 households each year.

Beyond business and environmental initiatives, Amazon addresses social responsibility through community programmes like The Multibank initiative, co-founded with former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown. This programme redistributes surplus products to families in need via local charities, aiming to support vulnerable groups with essential goods.

Overall, Amazon’s £40 billion investment showcases a multifaceted approach to expanding its UK operations while nurturing economic growth, workforce development, environmental sustainability, and community support that extends well beyond its own business.

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Source: Noah Wire Services