On June 23, 2022, a tripartite Memorandum of Cooperation was signed between the Karen Vardanyan Educational Foundation, ARARATBANK OJSC and the Union of Advanced Technology Enterprises on the cooperation around the second annual Hawk Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Contest. Under the Memorandum, ARARATBANK open joint-stock company assumes the role of the general sponsor of the Contest.

The Memorandum was signed by Executive Director of the Karen Vardanyan Educational Foundation Suren Vardanyan, Executive Director of ARARATBANK OJSC Mher Ananyan, and Executive Director of the Union of Advanced Technology Enterprises (UATE) Hayk Chobanyan.

"We are pleased to be part of this vital initiative and take on the role of the general sponsor of UAV Contest. In this regard, all projects containing educational elements, seeking to consolidate the intellectual potential of the nation, to promote formation of a new scientific capacity and to achieve new heights, fall within the scope of the corporate social responsibility assumed by ARARATBANK," - said Mher Ananyan, CEO of ARARATBANK OJSC.  

This year the contest will be held between 10 and 11 September at the UAV airport in the village of Lernapat, Lori region. As a reminder, the airport was built by the funds generated from the last year's fundraising. The 80-meter runway of the airport is built by using a special technology and consists of 7 layers of gravel and sand.

"We are grateful to ARARATBANK for its commitment to support the initiative of the Foundation. This year the contest will have a significantly wider scope, and we therefore invite all interested parties to join this initiative in Lernapat and support the decentralized technological development of Armenia," - said Suren Vardanyan, Executive Director of the Karen Vardanyan Educational Foundation.   

The contest will be held in three categories - schoolchildren, amateur groups, start-up and specialized companies. Based on categories, the tasks proposed for participants will be simple, medium and complex.

The three tasks set before the groups will be land navigation, object detection and distinction, delivery of packages and dispersal of liquid materials. The resolution of such issues can boost the efficiency of rescue and emergency response services.
"The most important component of implementing projects of national significance is cooperation and pan-national participation, and, hence, we wish success in the cooperation launched with the signing of the Memorandum," - said UATE Executive Director Hayk Chobanyan.
The contest is organized by the Karen Vardanyan Educational Foundation and the Union of Advanced Technology Enterprises. The general sponsor of the contest is ARARATBANK OJSC.