Karen Vardanyan was a pioneer in the high-tech industry in Armenia. He graduated from the Yerevan Polytechnical Institute and qualified as a hydro engineer and continued his studies at Harvard Business School in 2009. His career consisted of working at the Enterprise Incubator Foundation and at the Ministry of Trade and Industry, as head of the IT Development Department and held seven patents.

We were honored to have him serve as executive director of UATE from 2007. Thanks to his strategic management and leadership skills, UATE has been demonstrating stable growth and implementing innovative projects in Armenia for many years. Karen had a very clear, ambitious vision. To reestablish the industry in Armenia at the highest level, it would be necessary not just to educate a small number of specialists, but to spread the IT culture throughout the country.

His passing came far too soon and early, at the age of 57. A candle lighting ceremony took place on July 11, 2020 in memory of Karen Vardanyan. Armenia's Minister of High-Tech industry Hakob Arshakyan wrote “Karen will remain in our hearts as a fighter, free and bright person.

Mr. Vardanyan has left an invaluable, great investment in the technology sector: UATE, DigiTec Expo, Armath laboratories, DigiTec Business Forum, WCIT and dozens of other projects and strategic programs for the development of technology would not have been complete without his huge efforts. Rest in peace, dear friend!