RRP targets for cybersecurity and digital transition exceeded - Communication

Vice-Presidência do Governo Regional

The Vice-Presidency of the Regional Government of the Azores, through the Regional Directorate for Communications and Digital Transition, has exceeded the targets set under the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP) within the framework of the Azores Cybersecurity Competence Centre (CCC Açores).

Since it began operations in February 2024, CCC Açores has worked with over 160 organisations in the public and private sectors, improving digital resilience in the Region by promoting best practices, ensuring compliance with legal requirements and preparing for cybersecurity certifications.

Accordingly, CCC Açores, as part of the Cybersecurity Competence Centres network (C-Network), has become the first of the seven centres in the country to not only meet but also exceed the established targets, ahead of the initially set deadline for March 31, 2026.

This Centre arises from a partnership between the Regional Government, the Chamber of Commerce of the Azores, the Association of Municipalities of the Autonomous Region of the Azores and the University of the Azores.

For the Vice-President of the Regional Government, Artur Lima, “the governance model adopted in the Azores is a winning strategy, as evidenced by the number of initiatives and the number of organisations involved from the outset.”

“The Region is now better prepared to face the challenges of the digital transition and the dangers of cyber threats,” he emphasised.

Among the initiatives developed by CCC Açores, particular attention is drawn to the focus on raising awareness of regulatory compliance, notably the transition to the NIS 2 Directive, as well as the assessment of organisational maturity based on the National Cybersecurity Reference Framework (QNRCS).

At the same time, the Centre, in partnership with C Academy, developed an initiative aimed at the regional education system, involving 39 schools, with the aim of identifying cybersecurity training pathways for different professional profiles, with a particular focus on teachers.

In December 2025, a Tabletop Exercise (TTX) was held on Terceira Island, aimed at simulating the response to cyber incidents in critical sectors such as healthcare, energy, law enforcement, transport and public administration. This exercise made it possible to test response capabilities, strengthen inter-agency coordination mechanisms and identify opportunities for improvement in contingency plans.

“All these initiatives demonstrate the importance of this Centre for the Azores, highlighting the strategic knowledge it generates and its added value in defining effective policies on digital security and resilience,” emphasised Artur Lima. 

The CCC Açores was established under instrument 73/C19-i03/2023 of the national RRP, with a budget of €382,297.55.