“We are thrilled to be joining the Amazon family and extending the impact we can have at a global scale” Cloostermans CEO Fredrik Berckmoes-Joos, announced the industry's biggest news With these words.
Amazon continues its robotics expansion at full speed. In the past weeks, the giant brand of the e-commerce sector has purchased Cloostermans, an expert in the field of mechatronics. Closstermans is a Belgian company that manufactures robots for handling, stacking and packaging heavy pallets and boxes. Cloostermans' 200 employees will become part of Amazon's robotics division. Amazon has been a customer of Cloostermans since 2019.
“We are excited to join the Amazon family and expand the impact we can have on a global scale,” said Fredrik Berkmoes-Joos, CEO of Cloostermans. “Amazon has raised the bar on how supply chain technologies can benefit its businesses and customers, and we look forward to being part of the next chapter of this innovation.”
Amazon entered the field of robotics by acquiring Kiva Systems in 2012. With this step, Amazon has installed 520,000 robotic drive units worldwide. In 2019, it acquired the autonomous car manufacturer Canvas Technology. Cloostermans also joins a growing Amazon robotics buy list
Amazon will likely make even greater breakthroughs in warehouse robot systems in the coming years to meet the demands of the ever-evolving operation. According to an internal report that was leaked earlier this year, Amazon predicted that it would face a major shortage of workers in its warehouses. It has been suggested that higher wages, instead, more automation solutions will offset this crisis. Increasing the use of robotics in warehouses by acquiring Cloostermans will be an important step in this strategy.
Amazon does not disclose the financial terms of the deal, but has said that approximately 200 machinists, engineers and designers from Cloostermans will join Amazon.
Amazon has been expanding its robotics work in Europe in recent years. Opening a robotic innovation laboratory in Italy and R&D centers in Germany can be considered as important steps of this expansion.