Profile of Italdesign

Italdesign has operated as a service company for the automotive industry since 1968. From the beginning, the company specialized in design, engineering, prototyping, and ultra-limited series production, serving both traditional original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and newcomers to the mobility sector at a global scale. Over the years, Italdesign has developed technologies, methodologies, and engineering capabilities that are inherently cross-industry, enabling the company to support innovation in automotive as well as in adjacent high-tech sectors, such as aerospace and robotics, where its expertise in complex systems, advanced materials, and precision engineering delivers significant added value.Italdesign is part of the Audi family alongside Lamborghini, Ducati, and Bentley. Headquartered in Moncalieri (Turin, Italy),the company currently employs 1,330 people in Italy, Germany, Spain, and China. In January 2024, a new subsidiary was established within the Detroit metropolitan area in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, to better serve local clients. Today, Italdesign USA continues to strengthen its presence in the region, offering design, engineering, and complete vehicle development services to US OEMs while also collaborating closely with the American academic network.

As a service provider for design, technical development, prototyping, and ultra-limited series production, Italdesign supports automotive manufacturers worldwide. The Italian firm is an important player in mobility, capable of influencing market changes with new and innovative designs, as well as advanced technologies. Recently, Italdesign has evolved into a systems developer for automotive electronics, including infotainment, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), and high-voltage battery systems. This enables the company to offer comprehensive support for software-defined vehicles (SDV).

“Push beyond, explore endlessly, innovate sustainably, be ideneers”

Throughout 2025, Italdesign accelerated its innovation trajectory with a rich pipeline of visionary and innovative projects and case studies: from new concepts such as Quintessenza, blending GT elegance with pickup versatility and showcasing advanced materials and sustainable innovation; Rapida, the fastback designed with students from IED Torino to engage Generation Z; to sustainability‑driven initiatives such as ReSedo, a circular‑design automotive seating system integrating recycled materials and advanced manufacturing technologies.

The year also marked progress in high‑tech case studies, including the application of metal additive manufacturing for automotive components of high‑performance vehicles; KINI, the intelligent electromechanical child‑safety interface that digitally connects the child seat to the vehicle to transmit real‑time data and enhance onboard safety; AURA App, the AR‑powered tool for streamlined, traceable quality inspections; and Driving Blind, the AI‑based assistive solution that supports blind and visually impaired users in navigating safely and independently.

In parallel, Italdesign introduced the new portable Concept Lab, a light, modular, and fully transportable tool that combines an adjustable seating buck with XR technologies and proprietary software. Designed for rapid setup and on‑site deployment, it allows customers to validate ergonomics, HMI, UX, and design decisions early in the process – offering a flexible, plug‑and‑play environment for real‑time, cross‑functional collaboration.

Beyond project innovation, 2025 also strengthened Italdesign’s global positioning and strategic diversification. The company was selected to represent Italy at the Italy Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka, presenting an immersive installation that showcased its vision of design, innovation, sustainability, and the long‑standing cultural connection between Italy and Japan. At the same time, Italdesign outlined a broader diversification strategy, expanding its expertise beyond automotive into aerospace, robotics, and bespoke high‑end services, leveraging its end‑to‑end development capabilities to enter new domains. Complementing these international initiatives, Italdesign also provided technical support to the Torino Automotive Design Award (TADA) – promoted in China and endorsed by Regione Piemonte and the City of Turin – further reinforcing the company’s international visibility, heritage, and leadership in the global mobility and design landscape.

Comprehensive automotive engineering and production services

Italdesign’s engineering department, with its competencies in electrics and electronics, as well as in vehicle integration, constantly grew in 2025. The number of Audi turn-key projects, including "captain model projects" that place especially high requirements on the company, also increased markedly. This growth is set to boost interest in Italdesign’s services from other brands of the Volkswagen Group, help optimize development times and costs, and can also open new opportunities for collaboration with external companies.

The Preseries Center has also been involved in producing turn-key projects, thus enabling Italdesign to cover the entire project scope, including close-to-series production. Investment, particularly in the acquisition of new skills, has also been focused on the internal project “Gesamtfahrzeug Hardware in the Loop” (GHIL), to assure Italdesign expands its competence and strategical know-how to undertake the development of entire vehicles.

Ongoing commitment to ESG excellence

In 2025, the company was certified as a Top Employer Italy for the eleventh consecutive year and achieved Gender Equality Certification for the second year in a row. During the same period, Italdesign published two Sustainability Reports – one for fiscal year 2023 and another covering fiscal year 2024 – demonstrating its continued commitment to transparency and the integration of ESG principles. These publications reaffirm the company’s determination to maintain fast-paced, consistent, and forward‑looking sustainability reporting.

A catalyst of automotive innovation

The Vehicle Valley Piemonte Association, officially launched in 2024 by global design and engineering leaders Italdesign and Pininfarina, was established to strengthen the region’s role as a global mobility hub and to position Piemonte as a true “living lab” where design, engineering, research, and advanced manufacturing converge. As part of its 2025–2026 development roadmap, the association has significantly expanded its activities. Beyond its first international mission to Michigan (USA), aimed at presenting Piemonte as a strategic center for global mobility innovation, Vehicle Valley Piemonte has activated a structured program of initiatives designed to consolidate the region’s competitiveness. These include growth of the ecosystem, B2B engagement formats, territorial promotional actions, dedicated workshops for members, networking and community-building programs, and brand-building and communication campaigns. Through these initiatives, the association is rapidly evolving into a cohesive platform that unites enterprises, institutions, schools of design, and research centers, while actively promoting Piemonte’s heritage and future potential.