DHL invests £550m to deploy 1,000-plus robots in UK and Ireland
11 July 2025 
The logistics giant DHL Supply Chain is investing £550m to deploy more than 1,000 new robots and to accelerate the rollout of automation across its operations in UK and Ireland. The investment will support a growing demand for its services in the e-commerce and life sciences / healthcare sectors.
The new investment builds on the €1bn that DHL has already spent on more than 3,200 automation and digitalisation projects across the UK, Ireland and EMEA region over the past three years. DHL’s contract logistics business plans to increase its operations “significantly” in UK&I, as well as globally, over the next five years, with automation, robotics and digitalisation being key enablers of this growth.
DHL is co-developing, testing and scaling robotics technologies through strategic partnerships with technology suppliers. This strategy has already resulted in more than 2,000 working robots operating in the UK, Ireland and EMEA.
These include more than 750 assisted picking robots from Locus Robotics and 6 River Systems, that are operating at 18 sites in the region.
DHL recently deployed the first Boston Dynamics Stretch robot for container unloading in the UK. These robots can unload up to 700 boxes per hour, significantly reducing physical strain on warehouse staff and enhancing productivity in fast turnaround environments such as e-commerce.
“At DHL, we’re driving the next wave of automation, not as a one-size-fits-all approach but as a set of intelligent, adaptive technologies tailored to the specific needs of individual sectors,” says the company’s global head of digital transformation, Tim Tetzlaff. “In e-commerce, for example, where the market is evolving and demand is growing, we’re expanding our fulfilment capabilities to support that shift with automated solutions that significantly simplify high-volume operations.
“Meanwhile, in the growing life sciences sector, we’re leveraging automation to respond faster to demand and manage complexity at scale with end-to-end visibility, amid a larger focus on patient-centric approaches and differentiated routes to market.”
As part of its expansion, DHL is opening a health logistics facility in Derby, designed to support growth in the life sciences and healthcare sector, which it expects to experience double-digit expansion in the UK over the next five years. The site will include cold chain and cleanroom facilities and will play a pivotal role in DHL Health Logistics’ global network.
DHL’s investment plans reinforce the role of the UK as one its largest and most strategically significant regions. The UK has proven to be a resilient and adaptable logistics hub and plays a key role in global commerce as trade patterns continue to shift.
“Our investment reflects the growing opportunities across the UK market,” explains Saul Resnick, CEO of DHL Supply Chain in the UK and Ireland. “Customers are increasingly recognising the benefits of digitalisation and, to date this year, we’ve already surpassed the number of deployments achieved last year.
“What’s more, the integration of robotics and automation in customer operations is becoming more sophisticated, so customers are seeing greater benefits and faster ROI.
“This momentum is only possible with the right infrastructure and expertise in place, tailored to support high-growth industries like e-commerce and healthcare,” Resnick adds. “That’s why we’re investing for long-term impact, ensuring we are the go-to supply chain provider.”
