EU Member States are mobilising to increase their national strengths and competences in high-performance computing (HPC). To achieve this, the EuroCC project has set up a network of National Competence Centres (NCCs) in HPC across Europe with over 30 participating members and associated states. Correspondingly, the EU-funded CASTIEL project will establish a European excellence baseline, help bridge the existing HPC skill gaps and promote cooperation and implementation of best practices. Specifically, the project brings together a core consortium to set up a framework of activities that will support the evolution of each NCC. Priority will be the coordination and integration of the NCCs into the overall strategy at European level.