Acquisition Overview
On 7 September 2026, UST, a US‑based AI and technology transformation solutions company founded in 1999, announced that it had completed the acquisition of a majority stake in Italdesign from the Audi Group. The transaction was disclosed jointly from Aliso Viejo, California and Moncalieri, Italy.
Strategic Rationale
The partnership is intended to merge Italdesign’s six‑decade legacy of iconic automotive design and engineering with UST’s capabilities in artificial intelligence, digital engineering, software‑defined vehicles, and ecosystem design. UST aims to help automotive manufacturers cope with the growing complexity of next‑generation, software‑defined, AI‑enabled and increasingly connected vehicles by accelerating innovation from concept through production.
Operational Structure
Italdesign will continue to operate under its own name, preserving its values, distinctive competencies and a holistic multidisciplinary approach with an increasing focus on sustainability. The company retains its workforce of more than 1,300 professionals across ten international locations and will benefit from UST’s global scale, digital engineering expertise, AI capabilities and worldwide client relationships.
Company Profiles
UST employs over 30,000 people in more than 30 countries and positions itself as a partner that delivers AI‑driven digital solutions, proprietary platforms, engineering, R&D, and innovation ecosystems. Italdesign, headquartered in Moncalieri (Turin), is a global leader in car design, vehicle engineering and product development, having delivered over 1,000 industrial design and transportation projects and expanding into aerospace and robotics.
Executive Comments
Vijay Padmanabhan, Chief Financial Officer of UST, stated that the investment was driven by Italdesign’s people, heritage and reputation for turning bold ideas into world‑class products. Gilroy Mathew, Chief Operating Officer of UST, emphasized that customers need partners who can connect design, engineering, software and AI, and that the combined entity will help them move from concept to production faster while preserving creativity and engineering excellence. Antonio Casu, Chief Executive Officer of Italdesign, highlighted that the partnership brings nearly 60 years of automotive industry credibility and will allow Italdesign to continue its sustainable, multidisciplinary approach while leveraging UST’s scale and capabilities.
Transaction Details
No financial terms of the majority‑stake acquisition were disclosed in the release. The deal was executed with the Audi Group as the seller.
Media Contacts
UST: Stephanie Rosenfeld ( +1 949 627‑1941, Media.relations@ust.com ), Merrick Laravea ( +1 949 416‑6212 ), Neha Misri (+44‑7341787926). Italdesign: Franco Bay (franco.bay@italdesign.it, +39 333 7897749), Lorenza Cappello (lorenza.cappello@italdesign.it).