diff --git a/packages/hxtorch/package.py b/packages/hxtorch/package.py
index 3c9ffef0fea01db5b77b33e93324238646621fb8..7985472e35eec7abd2a7d0816f84d70b71b5bd0d 100644
--- a/packages/hxtorch/package.py
+++ b/packages/hxtorch/package.py
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ class Hxtorch(build_brainscales.BuildBrainscales):
 
     maintainers = ['emuller']
 
+    version('8.0-a5',         tag='hxtorch-8.0-a5')
     version('8.0-a4',         tag='hxtorch-8.0-a4')
     version('8.0-a3',         tag='hxtorch-8.0-a3')
     version('8.0-a2',         tag='hxtorch-8.0-a2')
@@ -35,6 +36,7 @@ class Hxtorch(build_brainscales.BuildBrainscales):
     deps_hxtorch_core = [
         # compiler for the BrainScaleS-2 embedded processor ("PPU"); needed for
         # building/linking, at runtime and for testing
+        ('oppulance@8.0-a5', { "when":'@8.0-a5', "type": ('build', 'link', 'run', 'test') } ),
         ('oppulance@8.0-a4', { "when":'@8.0-a4', "type": ('build', 'link', 'run', 'test') } ),
         ('oppulance@8.0-a3', { "when":'@8.0-a3', "type": ('build', 'link', 'run', 'test') } ),
         ('oppulance@8.0-a2', { "when":'@8.0-a2', "type": ('build', 'link', 'run', 'test') } ),
diff --git a/packages/jaxsnn/package.py b/packages/jaxsnn/package.py
index 96f7c69258fb664e87e66a18f8495f1828000a2c..c61589f3ee9423fbed02451698dabc926aed0d19 100644
--- a/packages/jaxsnn/package.py
+++ b/packages/jaxsnn/package.py
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ class Jaxsnn(build_brainscales.BuildBrainscales):
 
     maintainers = ['emuller']
 
+    version('8.0-a5', tag='jaxsnn-8.0-a5')
     version('8.0-a4', tag='jaxsnn-8.0-a4')
     version('8.0-a3', tag='jaxsnn-8.0-a3')
     version('8.0-a2', tag='jaxsnn-8.0-a2')
diff --git a/packages/oppulance/package.py b/packages/oppulance/package.py
index 07253e6ada133faabdb112a2049ffef41dc469d4..0d6feb978a0a7a5b94ddf5b6645f05ca5b5e75fa 100644
--- a/packages/oppulance/package.py
+++ b/packages/oppulance/package.py
@@ -22,6 +22,10 @@ class Oppulance(Package):
     depends_on('gmp')
 
     releases = [
+        {
+            'version': '8.0-a5',
+            'tag': 'ebrains-8.0-a5'
+        },
         {
             'version': '8.0-a4',
             'tag': 'ebrains-8.0-a4'
diff --git a/packages/pynn-brainscales/package.py b/packages/pynn-brainscales/package.py
index 8717ebf9b7f8d2182eafe1fff6138e6b5e05a06a..1ba865b89b14bfe9299783557cc94d1e801942fc 100644
--- a/packages/pynn-brainscales/package.py
+++ b/packages/pynn-brainscales/package.py
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ class PynnBrainscales(build_brainscales.BuildBrainscales):
 
     maintainers = ['emuller']
 
+    version('8.0-a5',         tag='pynn-brainscales-8.0-a5')
     version('8.0-a4',         tag='pynn-brainscales-8.0-a4')
     version('8.0-a3',         tag='pynn-brainscales-8.0-a3')
     version('8.0-a2',         tag='pynn-brainscales-8.0-a2')
@@ -34,6 +35,7 @@ class PynnBrainscales(build_brainscales.BuildBrainscales):
 
     # compiler for the BrainScaleS-2 embedded processor ("PPU"); needed for
     # building/linking, at runtime and for testing
+    depends_on('oppulance@8.0-a5', when='@8.0-a5', type=('build', 'link', 'run', 'test'))
     depends_on('oppulance@8.0-a4', when='@8.0-a4', type=('build', 'link', 'run', 'test'))
     depends_on('oppulance@8.0-a3', when='@8.0-a3', type=('build', 'link', 'run', 'test'))
     depends_on('oppulance@8.0-a2', when='@8.0-a2', type=('build', 'link', 'run', 'test'))
diff --git a/spack.yaml b/spack.yaml
index 423b558feeb0290c0840cf11c580662750b754e7..e65872cdd00411c52de9aa282b8701fa5826fcc7 100644
--- a/spack.yaml
+++ b/spack.yaml
@@ -12,10 +12,10 @@ spack:
     - biobb-model@4.0.0
     - biobb-structure-checking@3.12.1
     - biobb-structure-utils@4.0.0
-    - hxtorch@8.0-a4
+    - hxtorch@8.0-a5
     - nest@3.7 +sonata
     - neuron@8.2.3 +mpi
-    - jaxsnn@8.0-a4
+    - jaxsnn@8.0-a5
     - py-bluepyefe@2.2.18
     - py-bluepymm@0.7.65
     - py-bluepyopt@1.13.86
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ spack:
     - py-tvb-multiscale@2.1.0.ebrains
     - py-tvb-storage@2.9
     - py-viziphant@0.4.0
-    - pynn-brainscales@8.0-a4
+    - pynn-brainscales@8.0-a5
     - r-rgsl@0.1.1
     - r-sbtabvfgen@0.1
     - r-uqsa@2.2