Ready, Set, Go – for Kuehne+Nagel’s most advanced and carbon neutral adidas fulfilment centre in Southern Europe

Kuehne+Nagel and adidas have entered into a long-term strategic partnership for a highly automated, omni-channel 130,000 sqm dedicated fulfilment centre in Mantova, Italy. It is to be the largest CO2-neutral fulfilment centre in Kuehne+Nagel’s global history.

Launching in 2024, the fulfilment centre will create around 700 new jobs to supply adidas stores, retail shops, wholesalers and e-commerce customers in 19 countries throughout Southern and Eastern Europe. Through a combination of cutting edge technologies, an experienced management team and well-trained warehouse workers, the centre is set to process no fewer than 18,000 packages per hour. Its operational model provides the exceptional flexibility required to handle adidas’ wildly fluctuating volumes from its various B2B, B2C and Click&Collect channels, along with regular peaks in seasonal demand.

The fulfilment centre not only meets adidas’ highest customer standards in agility and delivery speed but also fulfils its requirements for sustainable CO2-neutral operations.

Gianfranco Sgro, member of the Management Board of Kuehne+Nagel International AG, responsible for Contract Logistics comments: “The project’s combination of technology, service levels, sustainability and of course its exceptional scale has made it one of the most challenging ever faced by our team. The majority of it was also developed during lockdown, proving the capabilities of remote work and digital collaboration. Many thanks to adidas and our network of partners supporting us.”

The entire fulfilment centre is set to be powered by 100% renewable energy sources. Kuehne+Nagel will also employ only the most sustainable packaging materials and processes, aiming to reduce total resource consumption and CO2 emissions while ensuring high operational performance. In addition, the campus’ approximately 700 employees can easily commute via environmentally friendly transport options. The city of Mantova greatly supports Kuehne+Nagel’s new facility and is excited for the economic development and job opportunities it will bring to its citizens.

“The new logistic hub confirms Mantova’s strategic role in the logistic landscape. Only two kilometers from A22 highway and close to the international river port of Valdaro in the middle of an intermodal corridor from Northern Europe to the Mediterranean. We supported this extraordinary project at full speed and determination due to the strategic relevance on our community and the extraordinary innovation for our country,” comments Mattia Palazzi, Mayor of Mantova.