The Solar Aerial Vehicle (SAVe) Competition is a joint initiative between ILSAS and Malaysian Polytechnics, aimed at fostering a strong culture of research, innovation and creativity among students and lecturers within Malaysia’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) system. The competition focuses on technology and renewable energy, particularly the development of solar-powered aerial vehicles.

Launched in 2020, the competition attracted over 70 students and lecturers from polytechnics nationwide. Building on this foundation, high-impact initiatives such as the SAVe 2020 Webinar Series and the Basic Introduction to DIY Quad Copter Course in 2022 were introduced to enhance participants’ technical expertise in drone systems and renewable energy technologies.

In 2023 and 2025, SAVe was successfully hosted at Politeknik Port Dickson, utilizing the DIY Quad Copter platform as the official competition framework. This standardized platform aligns the competition with global trends in drone innovation, hands-on engineering education and sustainable energy, while ensuring consistency and scalability across editions.

For SAVe 2026, the Department of Polytechnic and Community College Education (DPCCE) has entrusted Politeknik Jeli Kelantan as the host institution. The competition will continue to use the DIY Quad Copter platform to maintain continuity in learning outcomes, standardized technical evaluation and improvements in system integration and solar energy efficiency. SAVe 2026 is expected to attract broader participation from Polytechnics, Community Colleges and external stakeholders, fostering high-impact collaboration between educational institutions, industry partners, and the wider community in advancing green technology, renewable energy and national innovation initiatives.