diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index eb05c46a7bac6713182129d8750a4a9acc75ed12..8c3a6e576fb9153198fc0f6cbb7f80c8d33dc140 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -5,8 +5,8 @@ stages:
 variables:
   BUILD_ENV_DOCKER_IMAGE: docker-registry.ebrains.eu/tc/ebrains-spack-build-env/okd:okd_23.06
   GITLAB_BUILD_ENV_DOCKER_IMAGE: docker-registry.ebrains.eu/tc/ebrains-spack-build-env/gitlab_runners_nfs:gitlab_runners_nfs_23.06
-  SPACK_VERSION: v0.20.0
-  SPACK_PATH_GITLAB: /mnt/spack_v0.20.0
+  SPACK_VERSION: v0.21.1
+  SPACK_PATH_GITLAB: /mnt/spack_v0.21.1
   SYSTEMNAME: ebrainslab
 
 # start an OpenShift Job that will build the Spack environment
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 6d29458edfb866466f94acfd4b3584f094db91e0..bda3ff5d6c20dcf541b17b9ee63221913d46d17c 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ Clone this repository. You can use the `ebrains-yy-mm` branches to install the E
 git clone --branch {branch-name} https://gitlab.ebrains.eu/technical-coordination/project-internal/devops/platform/ebrains-spack-builds.git
 ```
 
-Clone Spack. We currently use version v0.20.0:
+Clone Spack. We currently use version v0.21.1:
 ```
 git clone --depth 1 -c advice.detachedHead=false -c feature.manyFiles=true --branch v0.20.0 https://github.com/spack/spack
 ```