The pride of Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta (UNY), the Garuda UNY Team, has officially announced its readiness to compete again on the international stage. The team will depart for the Lusail Circuit, Qatar, to participate in the prestigious Shell Eco-Marathon (SEM) Asia-Pacific and Middle East 2026, held from January 21–26, 2026.

This year, after previously competing in the Urban Concept Battery Electric category, the team decided to return to the Urban Concept Gasoline ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) category — aiming to reclaim their top spot. Garuda UNY has a strong track record, including 1st place and a record achievement in 2022, followed by 2nd place finishes in 2023 and 2024. They also brought momentum from winning 1st place nationally at the 2025 Kontes Mobil Hemat Energi (KMHE) in the same category.

Fadhil Akmal, Chair of the Garuda UNY Team, emphasized that the team’s main focus this year is innovation and efficiency to achieve better performance than before. He said preparations include advanced research and development — from vehicle design improvements to optimizing combustion systems and materials testing.

The team’s success at SEM Qatar does not come without support. The UNY Rectorate and Faculty of Engineering are fully backing the team, along with strategic partners and sponsors such as Prestone, Master, Donta, Ikato, Lamban, Solidworks, Triofa, and others. Their guidance is meant to help the team not just participate, but excel and make the nation proud on the global stage.