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1. In order to fulfil its mission and objectives, the Competence Centre shall have the following tasks:

(a) strategic tasks; and (b) implementation tasks.

2. The strategic tasks referred to in point (a) of paragraph 1 shall consist of:

(a) developing and monitoring the implementation of the Agenda;

(b) through the Agenda and the multiannual work programme, while avoiding any duplication of activities with ENISA and taking into account the need to create synergies between cybersecurity and other parts of Horizon Europe and the Digital Europe Programme:

(i) establishing priorities for the work of the Competence Centre in relation to:

(1) the enhancement of cybersecurity research and innovation, covering the entire innovation cycle, and the deployment of that research and innovation (2) the development of cybersecurity industrial, technological and research capacities, capabilities, and infrastructure (3) the reinforcement of cybersecurity and technology skills and competence in industry, technology and research and at all relevant educational levels, supporting gender balance (4) the deployment of cybersecurity products, services and processes

(5) support for the uptake by the market of cybersecurity products, services and processes contributing to the mission set out in Article 3

(6) support for the adoption and integration of state-of-the-art cybersecurity products, services and processes by public authorities at their request, by demand-side industries and by other users;

(ii) supporting the cybersecurity industry, in particular SMEs, with a view to strengthening Union excellence, capacity and competitiveness with regard to cybersecurity, including with a view to connecting to potential markets and deployment opportunities, and to attracting investment; and (iii) providing support and technical assistance to cybersecurity start-ups, SMEs, microenterprises, associations, individual experts and civic technology projects;

(c) ensuring synergies between and cooperation with relevant Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies, in particular ENISA, while avoiding any duplication of activities with those Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies;

(d) coordinating national coordination centres through the Network and ensuring a regular exchange of expertise;

(e) providing expert cybersecurity industrial, technology and research advice to Member States at their request, including with regard to the procurement and deployment of technologies;

(f) facilitating collaboration and the sharing of expertise among all relevant stakeholders, in particular members of the Community;

(g) attending Union, national and international conferences, fairs and forums related to the mission, objectives and tasks of the Competence Centre with the aim of sharing views and exchanging relevant best practices with other participants;

(h) facilitating the use of results from research and innovation projects in actions related to the development of cybersecurity products, services and processes, while seeking to avoid the fragmentation and duplication of efforts and replicating good cybersecurity practices and cybersecurity products, services and processes, in particular those developed by SMEs and those using open source software.

3. The implementation tasks referred to in point (b) of paragraph 1 shall consist of:

(a) coordinating and administrating the work of the Network and the Community in order to fulfil the mission set out in Article 3, in particular by supporting cybersecurity start-ups, SMEs, microenterprises, associations and civic technology projects in the Union and facilitating their access to expertise, funding, investment and markets;

(b) establishing and implementing the annual work programme, in accordance with the Agenda and the multiannual work programme, for the cybersecurity parts of:

(i) the Digital Europe Programme, in particular actions related to Article 6 of Regulation (EU) 2021/694;

(ii) joint actions receiving support under the provisions that relate to cybersecurity in Horizon Europe, in particular with regard to Section 3.1.3 of Pillar II of Annex I to Decision (EU) 2021/764, in accordance with the multiannual work programme and the strategic planning process of Horizon Europe; and (iii) other programmes where provided for in the relevant legislative acts of the Union;

(c) supporting, where appropriate, the achievement of Specific Objective 4 – ‘Advanced Digital Skills’ as set out in Article 7 of Regulation (EU) 2021/694, in cooperation with European Digital Innovation Hubs;

(d) providing expert advice on cybersecurity industry, technology and research to the Commission when the Commission prepares draft work programmes pursuant to Article 13 of Decision (EU) 2021/764;

(e) carrying out or enabling the deployment of ICT infrastructure and facilitating the acquisition of such infrastructure, for the benefit of society, industry and the public sector, at the request of Member States, research communities and operators of essential services, by means of, inter alia, contributions from Member States and Union funding for joint actions, in accordance with the Agenda, the annual work programme and the multiannual work programme;

(f) raising awareness of the mission of the Competence Centre and the Network and of the objectives and tasks of the Competence Centre;

(g) without prejudice to the civilian nature of projects to be financed from Horizon Europe, and in accordance with Regulations (EU) 2021/695 and (EU) 2021/694, enhancing synergies and coordination between the cybersecurity civilian and defence spheres, by facilitating the exchange of:

(i) knowledge and information with regard to dual-use technologies and applications;

(ii) results, requirements and best practices; and (iii) information with regard to the priorities of relevant Union programmes.

4. The Competence Centre shall carry out the tasks set out in paragraph 1 in close cooperation with the Network.

5. In accordance with Article 6 of Regulation (EU) 2021/695 and subject to a contribution agreement as defined in point (18) of Article 2 of the Financial Regulation, the Competence Centre may be entrusted with the implementation of the cybersecurity parts under Horizon Europe that are not co-funded by the Member States, in particular with regard to Section 3.1.3 of Pillar II of Annex I to Decision (EU) 2021/764.