Source: own illustration
We have a reason to celebrate! git.nrw, the central GitLab instance for the universities in the Digital University of North Rhine-Westphalia (DH.NRW), has been available to all DH.NRW universities since August 1, 2026.
In this blog post, we’ll give you an overview of the development of git.nrw, from its inception to where it stands today.
From Concept to Implementation
In an increasingly digitized world, it is essential for universities and their members to collaborate efficiently. With git.nrw, a central platform has been created that significantly facilitates the exchange of code and ideas among developers, students, faculty, and researchers from various universities.
git.nrw is a central GitLab instance that has been jointly developed since 2023 by the University of Münster, the Cologne University of Applied Sciences (TH Köln), the University of Cologne, the University of Duisburg-Essen, and RWTH Aachen University. git.nrw was developed by universities in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) for universities in NRW to create a dynamic network that drives innovation in NRW over the long term. Nevertheless, cross-state collaboration is also possible and encouraged. To this end, a guest management system has been developed for individuals outside of NRW or those not affiliated with a university, enabling them to work on projects alongside colleagues and researchers from all over Germany and to strengthen collaboration and the community here as well. git.nrw thus has the potential to become one of the largest GitLab communities worldwide.
The long-term goal is to create a reliable technical foundation that serves as a central platform for universities in North Rhine-Westphalia and their partners. In this way, git.nrw supports cross-institutional cooperation in the areas of software development, research data management (RDM), project management, and teaching. Additionally, training sessions and courses are offered to familiarize users of all skill levels with Git and GitLab.
Background on git.nrw
git.nrw is based on the established version control system GitLab. This all-in-one DevOps platform enables teams to make software development processes more efficient, transparent, and agile, and to collaborate on projects. Features such as version control, issue tracking, wikis, and integration with other tools help improve the quality of scientific work not only in academia and research but also in personal data management. For this purpose, CI/CD pipelines—which ensure automated testing and rapid deployment without manual intervention—can be used, for example. Automatic scans after every merge also ensure seamless quality control of the pushed code.
The Ultimate license provided by git.nrw offers extensive benefits in areas such as “security” and “compliance.” At the same time, git.nrw manages the terms of delivery, eliminating the need for participating universities to handle their own procurement processes.
Pilot Phase to Date
In 2024, the pilot phase began with the first so-called “friendly users.” These included, among others, individuals at the universities of the consortium partners, including RWTH. The group of friendly users was gradually expanded over time, allowing additional universities in the DH.NRW network to participate in the pilot phase and test git.nrw.
Based on the feedback gathered from use during the pilot phase, features and aspects of git.nrw were repeatedly adjusted.
Since August 1, 2026, all universities in the DH.NRW network are now able to use git.nrw. The git.nrw community continues to grow and strengthen, making it easier for additional participating universities to collaborate across institutions. The platform is being continuously optimized throughout the project’s duration.
Any Questions?
Further information is available on the git.nrw website.
Responsible for the content of this article are Hedda Faber and Jelena Gonsior
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