UST has completed its acquisition of a majority stake in Italdesign from the Audi Group, bringing together the Italian automotive design and engineering company’s nearly 60-year heritage with UST’s capabilities in AI, digital engineering and software-defined vehicles. The partnership is intended to help automakers manage the complexity of connected, software-defined and AI-enabled vehicles, accelerating development from concept through production while retaining Italdesign’s independent identity and multidisciplinary approach. Italdesign will continue operating under its existing name and values, while gaining access to UST’s global scale, technology expertise and client relationships. UST has more than 30,000 employees across more than 30 countries, while Italdesign has more than 1,300 professionals across 10 international locations.