The Audi Group has entered a significant new phase in its collaboration with UST, a global technology and engineering company, through an agreement that will make UST the majority shareholder of Italdesign. Lamborghini—Italdesign’s current parent company and part of the Audi Group—will continue to hold a substantial stake, ensuring Italdesign maintains its established partnership with Audi for future vehicle programs. This development strengthens a long-standing relationship and creates a platform that unites deep automotive design heritage with advanced digital and AI-driven engineering capabilities.
The agreement positions UST as the new operational leader of Italdesign, enabling both companies to combine their core strengths in design, engineering, and technology. UST brings extensive expertise in artificial intelligence, software-defined vehicle development, automotive electronics, and digital ecosystem creation. Italdesign contributes decades of excellence in vehicle and industrial design, engineering development, prototyping, limited series production, and electronic systems. Together, they will offer an end-to-end solution portfolio that covers every stage of vehicle creation—from early ideation and design to hardware development, software integration, and industrialization. This comprehensive capability aims to support the global transition toward modern, digitally enabled vehicles and accelerate innovation across the mobility sector.
UST also plans to extend Italdesign’s international presence through its global network spanning more than 30 countries. This expansion will allow Italdesign to serve a broader customer base while preserving its Italian roots, design culture, and the creative and technical expertise of its employees. By combining global scale with local craftsmanship, the partnership is positioned to deliver advanced mobility solutions to established automotive manufacturers as well as emerging players.
Audi will remain a key partner to Italdesign, ensuring continuity in the areas that have shaped the company’s reputation over more than five decades. Italdesign’s integration into the Volkswagen Group since 2010 has enabled numerous collaborative projects, and the new ownership structure is designed to build on that legacy. The completion of the transaction is subject to regulatory approvals, and the companies have chosen not to disclose the financial terms of the deal.
Leadership across the Audi Group, UST, and Italdesign expressed confidence in the transformative nature of the partnership. Geoffrey Bouquot, Board Member for Technical Development at AUDI AG, emphasized that Italdesign has long been an essential part of Audi’s development network, contributing vital expertise from design through to prototyping and series engineering. He stated that UST is well positioned to strengthen Italdesign’s foundations and open new markets for the company.
UST CEO Krishna Sudheendra praised Italdesign for shaping global mobility through its design excellence and highlighted UST’s commitment to supporting Italdesign’s aspirations while adding new digital and engineering strengths. Italdesign CEO Antonio Casu noted that the partnership provides an opportunity to broaden the company’s service portfolio, accelerate global expansion, and move toward becoming the first fully integrated hardware-and-software systems provider in both automotive and high-tech industrial sectors. UST COO Gilroy Mathew added that combining Italdesign’s iconic design history with UST’s engineering and AI capabilities creates a powerful platform for the development of next-generation products, vehicle electronics, connectivity, ADAS, and new mobility experiences.
This strategic alliance underscores a shared commitment to shaping the future of mobility, blending world-class design, advanced technologies, and global delivery capabilities to create the next era of innovation in the automotive industry. Established in 1999, UST partners with major global enterprises to deliver transformation through AI, digital engineering, proprietary platforms, R&D, and innovation-led products. With more than 30,000 professionals across 30+ countries, the company focuses on creating long-term impact for clients, customers, and communities worldwide.
