The future of Ducati has become a question of industrial policy. We now know that Volkswagen is engaged in a heavy restructuring, which could bring the Borgo Panigale motorcycle company onto the market.
However, it would seem that the Italian Government has moved to try to protect it and, in the best case scenario, bring it back into local hands. A summit was held in Bologna on Monday 21 September 2026, which brought together institutions and company top management. All in view of the decisive face-to-face match with the German group scheduled for Friday 25 September.
A game still to be played and, at the moment, the sale remains only a hypothesis. The direct involvement of the executive, however, shows how strategic Ducati is considered. Here’s where we are and what the prospects are.
The future of Ducati: summit in Borgo Panigale
Business Minister Adolfo Urso showed up in Borgo Panigale for a meeting with Ducati’s CEO, Claudio Domenicali. Also present at the face-to-face meeting were the president of Emilia-Romagna Michele De Pascale and the president of Confindustria Emanuele Orsini.
All this to better prepare for next Friday’s confrontation between the Government and the top management of Audi-Volkswagen. The dossier suddenly took on urgency after the German company began a portfolio review. Ducati is among the 600 businesses, out of around 2,000, that came under scrutiny. Audi has controlled the brand since 2012 and has confirmed that the possibility of the sale is under discussion, although without a formal decision at the moment.
The Volkswagen crisis and Ducati’s numbers
A paradoxical situation, since it is the parent company and not Ducati that is in difficulty. Volkswagen is facing a heavy restructuring and, for some time now, there has been talk of a profound crisis for the giant. In fact, it cannot be ruled out that it could close 2026 with a margin of no more than 1%.
A very different matter for the Borgo Panigale manufacturer which, on the contrary, remains a decidedly healthy asset. In 2025 it delivered 50,895 motorcycles, with 925 million in revenue and 52 million in operating profit. In this specific case we are talking about a margin of 5.6%. A little gem, in fact, valued at around 1.25 billion euros by Bloomberg Intelligence. Numbers that explain why an institutional front has formed around the Red that is so determined not to let it slip away, now seeing a promising glimmer of hope.
The Golden Power is ready for Ducati
Italian politics is more active than ever, as demonstrated by Urso’s words. “I am determined”, he explained to the press, maintaining that “the time has come for this company to return fully to Italian hands”.
The Government has said it is ready to use all available tools, including Golden Power. This is the mechanism that allows the State to intervene on strategic assets. The Meloni Government is already studying a solution in the event of a sale, according to the latest rumours. Among the hypotheses circulating, an intervention by Cassa Depositi e Prestiti also appeared, which however denied everything.
Beyond what may be the symbolic value, as well as the electoral one after the exemption of the stamp duty and announcement of the new school regulations, this affair has a clear economic and social weight. At stake are the Borgo Panigale plant, the approximately 2,000 direct employees and the entire related industries in the Emilian Motor Valley.
“In the event that there needs to be divestment, as a country system we are there,” assured the president of Confindustria Orsini. Friday’s appointment with Audi-Volkswagen will tell whether the dossier will remain a preventive protection or will become a real system operation to bring the Red car back under Italian control.
