The significance of increasing the innovative activity of high-tech enterprises in the rocket and space industry is shown. The influence of the development level of key competencies of the organization on the innovative potential of high-tech enterprises is analyzed. Trends in the changes of key competencies of organizations engaged in the design and production of technically complex products are identified: updating and transforming existing and used competencies; searching for and forming new competencies required in future innovative projects. The expediency of creating Competence Centers based on high-tech enterprises is shown. The tasks of the Competence Centers are identified, which include concentrating and systematizing the main competencies of the organization, seeking opportunities to use previously formed competencies to implement promising areas of the enterprise's activities, determining the need for new competencies, and exploring various options for acquiring new competencies.