On September 17, 2021, Panattoni has announced it will be building the first robotic fulfillment center for Amazon in the Czech Republic on a brownfield site of a former sugar factory near Kojetin in the Prerov region.
According to the company, the 52,000-square meter building will offer a record of nearly 190,000 square meter (including 13,000 square meter of office space and technical facilities) of lettable space over four floors. Up to 2,000 people are expected to work there during peak operation. The building will be delivered for occupation in 2022.
“This is a huge opportunity for the whole region, especially in terms of investment and a high number of new jobs,” commented Panattoni General Manager for the Czech Republic and Slovakia Pavel Sovicka. “The Dobroviz project was already imbued with modern technologies, but the current one will be several generations further away, and will also take advantage of the unique logistical possibilities offered by the multi-storey layout. Last but not least, I am delighted that the hall will be created by revitalizing a brownfield site and will aspire to achieve an exceptionally high BREEAM environmental certification score.”
“From the very beginning, I consider the planned construction of the park to be a great opportunity for Kojetin,” added Kojetin Mayor Leos Ptacek. “In recent years, like other small towns, we have been facing an outflow of mainly young residents leaving for better economic conditions. We expect the new complex to offer skilled jobs for all age groups. A pleasant bonus is a location behind the town by the motorway and the minimal occupation of arable land, which we are particularly pleased about in Hana.”
“The fulfillment centre will be very different from the traditional idea of a warehouse,” said Amazon General Manager for the Czech Republic. “Employees will work with innovative technologies, including robotic units that will help them in the daily handling of customer orders and more efficient use of the warehouse space. These specialized robots will slide under shelves of products, pick them up and move them around the distribution center, helping to reduce the time it takes to process orders. In Kojetin, we will offer higher value-added work for qualified employees.”
