diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index 8053a98c..24febe7b 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -16,8 +16,9 @@
  */
 
 plugins {
-    id 'com.github.johnrengelman.shadow' version '7.0.0' apply false
-    id "com.diffplug.spotless" version "6.4.2" apply false
+    id 'com.github.johnrengelman.shadow' version '8.1.1' apply false
+    id "com.diffplug.spotless" version "6.25.0" apply false
+    id "com.github.ben-manes.versions" version '0.51.0'
 }
 
 description = "Flink Training Exercises"
@@ -94,11 +95,12 @@ subprojects {
     apply plugin: 'eclipse'
 
     ext {
-        javaVersion = '1.8'
-        flinkVersion = '1.14.0'
+        javaVersion = '11'
+        flinkVersion = '1.20.0'
+        flinkScalaVersion = '1.14.6'
         scalaBinaryVersion = '2.12'
-        log4jVersion = '2.12.1'
-        junitVersion = '4.13'
+        log4jVersion = '2.24.0'
+        junitVersion = '4.13.2'
     }
 
     sourceCompatibility = javaVersion
@@ -126,13 +128,13 @@ subprojects {
         shadow "org.apache.logging.log4j:log4j-api:${log4jVersion}"
         shadow "org.apache.logging.log4j:log4j-core:${log4jVersion}"
 
-        shadow "org.apache.flink:flink-clients_${scalaBinaryVersion}:${flinkVersion}"
+        shadow "org.apache.flink:flink-clients_${scalaBinaryVersion}:${flinkScalaVersion}"
         shadow "org.apache.flink:flink-java:${flinkVersion}"
-        shadow "org.apache.flink:flink-streaming-java_${scalaBinaryVersion}:${flinkVersion}"
+        shadow "org.apache.flink:flink-streaming-java_${scalaBinaryVersion}:${flinkScalaVersion}"
         shadow "org.apache.flink:flink-streaming-scala_${scalaBinaryVersion}:${flinkVersion}"
 
         // allows using Flink's web UI when running in the IDE:
-        shadow "org.apache.flink:flink-runtime-web_${scalaBinaryVersion}:${flinkVersion}"
+        shadow "org.apache.flink:flink-runtime-web_${scalaBinaryVersion}:${flinkScalaVersion}"
 
         if (project != project(":common")) {
             implementation project(path: ':common')
diff --git a/common/build.gradle b/common/build.gradle
index 799963f8..cd5c46d7 100644
--- a/common/build.gradle
+++ b/common/build.gradle
@@ -28,9 +28,9 @@ java {
 // common set of dependencies
 dependencies {
     testApi "junit:junit:${junitVersion}"
-    testApi "org.apache.flink:flink-streaming-java_${scalaBinaryVersion}:${flinkVersion}:tests"
+    testApi "org.apache.flink:flink-streaming-java_${scalaBinaryVersion}:${flinkScalaVersion}:tests"
     testApi "org.apache.flink:flink-runtime:${flinkVersion}:tests"
     testApi "org.apache.flink:flink-test-utils-junit:${flinkVersion}"
-    testApi "org.apache.flink:flink-test-utils_${scalaBinaryVersion}:${flinkVersion}"
-    testApi 'org.assertj:assertj-core:3.20.2'
+    testApi "org.apache.flink:flink-test-utils_${scalaBinaryVersion}:${flinkScalaVersion}"
+    testApi 'org.assertj:assertj-core:3.26.3'
 }
diff --git a/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.properties b/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.properties
index 69a97150..eae382a7 100644
--- a/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.properties
+++ b/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.properties
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
+#Mon Sep 30 02:29:21 PDT 2024
 distributionBase=GRADLE_USER_HOME
 distributionPath=wrapper/dists
-distributionUrl=https\://services.gradle.org/distributions/gradle-7.1-bin.zip
+distributionUrl=https\://services.gradle.org/distributions/gradle-8.10.2-bin.zip
 zipStoreBase=GRADLE_USER_HOME
 zipStorePath=wrapper/dists