diff --git a/.github/dependabot.yml b/.github/dependabot.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..28cb43e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/dependabot.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+# Source - https://stackoverflow.com/a/78380165
+# Posted by Stefan, modified by community. See post 'Timeline' for change history
+# Retrieved 2026-04-14, License - CC BY-SA 4.0
+
+# Set update schedule for GitHub Actions
+
+version: 2
+updates:
+
+  - package-ecosystem: "github-actions"
+    directory: "/"
+    schedule:
+      # Check for updates to GitHub Actions every week
+      interval: "weekly"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index f36109b..d572e4b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -2,9 +2,9 @@ name: Continuous builds
 
 on:
   push:
-    branches: [ master, development, experimental, modelspec ]
+    branches: [ master, development, experimental, modelspec, test* ]
   pull_request:
-    branches: [ master, development, experimental, modelspec ]
+    branches: [ master, development, experimental, modelspec, test* ]
 
 jobs:
   build:
@@ -13,15 +13,15 @@ jobs:
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
-        python-version: ["3.8", "3.9", "3.10", "3.11"]
+        python-version: ["3.10", "3.11", "3.12"]
     env:
       JNML_HOME: "/home/runner/work/NeuroMLlite/NeuroMLlite/jNeuroML"
       HDF5_DISABLE_VERSION_CHECK: 1
 
     steps:
-    - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+    - uses: actions/checkout@v7
     - name: Set up Python  ${{ matrix.python-version }}
-      uses: actions/setup-python@v5
+      uses: actions/setup-python@v7
       with:
         python-version:  ${{ matrix.python-version }}
 
@@ -29,14 +29,12 @@ jobs:
       run: |
         python -m pip install --upgrade pip
         pip install flake8
+        pip install setuptools==80 # needed for eden on Python 3.12...
 
     - name: Install NeuroMLlite and extra requirements
       run: |
           pip install .
-          pip install -r requirements-extra.txt
-                  
-          #pip install 'numpy<=1.23.0' # temp fix, see https://github.com/OpenSourceBrain/osb-model-validation/issues/91
-
+          pip install .[dev]
 
     - name: Lint with flake8
       run: |
@@ -57,8 +55,7 @@ jobs:
         git clone https://github.com/NeuroML/pyNeuroML.git
         cd pyNeuroML
         git checkout $pynml_branch
-        pip install pandas==1.3.5
-        pip install NEURON==8.2.2 # Specify version of neuron - 8.2.1 fails
+        pip install "NEURON>=8.2.2,<9.0.0" # Specify version of neuron - 8.2.1 fails
         #pip install -r requirements-dev.txt
         pip install .
         cd -
@@ -93,7 +90,7 @@ jobs:
 
     - name: Install some simulators for testing
       run: |
-        #pip install cython
+        pip install "cython<3.1.0" # for nest...
         omv install NEURON
         pip install NetPyNE  # strange issues on py3.7 with omv install...
         omv install PyNN
@@ -108,6 +105,7 @@ jobs:
         #export HDF5_DISABLE_VERSION_CHECK=1
         if [[ ${{ matrix.python-version }} != 2.7 ]]; then omv install PyNEST; fi
         #pip install h5py
+        
         omv list -V # list installed engines
 
     - name: Run pytest
diff --git a/.github/workflows/python-publish.yml b/.github/workflows/python-publish.yml
index 85cc411..912b67a 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/python-publish.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/python-publish.yml
@@ -18,9 +18,9 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
 
     steps:
-    - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+    - uses: actions/checkout@v7
     - name: Set up Python
-      uses: actions/setup-python@v5
+      uses: actions/setup-python@v7
       with:
         python-version: '3.x'
     - name: Install dependencies