diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index b1ece4ed..df640241 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -64,12 +64,12 @@ jobs:
       - name: Set up Python
         uses: actions/setup-python@v5
         with:
-          python-version: 3.11
+          python-version: 3.13
 
       - name: Create venv
         run: |
           cd backend
-          python3.11 -m venv venv
+          python3.13 -m venv venv
 
       - name: Install packages
         run: |
@@ -84,9 +84,9 @@ jobs:
           source venv/bin/activate
           # use version of ifcopenshell with desired schema parsing
           # TODO: revert to pyPI when schema parsing is published in the future
-          wget -O /tmp/ifcopenshell_python.zip "https://s3.amazonaws.com/ifcopenshell-builds/ifcopenshell-python-311-v0.8.4-e8eb5e4-linux64.zip"
-          mkdir -p venv/lib/python3.11/site-packages
-          unzip -d venv/lib/python3.11/site-packages /tmp/ifcopenshell_python.zip
+          wget -O /tmp/ifcopenshell_python.zip "https://s3.amazonaws.com/ifcopenshell-builds/ifcopenshell-python-313-v0.8.4-e8eb5e4-linux64.zip"
+          mkdir -p venv/lib/python3.13/site-packages
+          unzip -d venv/lib/python3.13/site-packages /tmp/ifcopenshell_python.zip
 
       - name: Check Django config
         run: |
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci_cd.yml b/.github/workflows/ci_cd.yml
index beea7c15..d4c94658 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci_cd.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci_cd.yml
@@ -65,12 +65,12 @@ jobs:
       - name: Set up Python
         uses: actions/setup-python@v5
         with:
-          python-version: 3.11
+          python-version: 3.13
 
       - name: Create venv
         run: |
           cd backend
-          python3.11 -m venv venv
+          python3.13 -m venv venv
 
       - name: Install packages
         run: |
@@ -85,9 +85,9 @@ jobs:
           source venv/bin/activate
           # use version of ifcopenshell with desired schema parsing
           # TODO: revert to pyPI when schema parsing is published in the future
-          wget -O /tmp/ifcopenshell_python.zip "https://s3.amazonaws.com/ifcopenshell-builds/ifcopenshell-python-311-v0.8.4-e8eb5e4-linux64.zip"
-          mkdir -p venv/lib/python3.11/site-packages
-          unzip -d venv/lib/python3.11/site-packages /tmp/ifcopenshell_python.zip
+          wget -O /tmp/ifcopenshell_python.zip "https://s3.amazonaws.com/ifcopenshell-builds/ifcopenshell-python-313-v0.8.4-e8eb5e4-linux64.zip"
+          mkdir -p venv/lib/python3.13/site-packages
+          unzip -d venv/lib/python3.13/site-packages /tmp/ifcopenshell_python.zip
 
       - name: Check Django config
         run: |
diff --git a/.github/workflows/playwright.yml b/.github/workflows/playwright.yml
index 3292d9f1..2cd4f58e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/playwright.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/playwright.yml
@@ -86,12 +86,12 @@ jobs:
       - name: Setup Python
         uses: actions/setup-python@v5
         with:
-          python-version: 3.11
+          python-version: 3.13
 
       - name: Create venv
         run: |
           cd backend
-          python3.11 -m venv .dev/venv --clear
+          python3.13 -m venv .dev/venv --clear
           echo "venv/bin folder content:"
           ls -l .dev/venv/bin
         
@@ -104,14 +104,14 @@ jobs:
           
       - name: Download and install ifcopenshell
         run: |
-          wget -O /tmp/ifcopenshell_python.zip "https://s3.amazonaws.com/ifcopenshell-builds/ifcopenshell-python-311-v0.8.4-e8eb5e4-linux64.zip"
-          mkdir -p .dev/venv/lib/python3.11/site-packages
-          unzip -o -d .dev/venv/lib/python3.11/site-packages /tmp/ifcopenshell_python.zip
+          wget -O /tmp/ifcopenshell_python.zip "https://s3.amazonaws.com/ifcopenshell-builds/ifcopenshell-python-313-v0.8.4-e8eb5e4-linux64.zip"
+          mkdir -p .dev/venv/lib/python3.13/site-packages
+          unzip -o -d .dev/venv/lib/python3.13/site-packages /tmp/ifcopenshell_python.zip
           rm /tmp/ifcopenshell_python.zip
           # Verify installation
-          ls -la .dev/venv/lib/python3.11/site-packages/
+          ls -la .dev/venv/lib/python3.13/site-packages/
           echo "Checking for ifcopenshell installation:"
-          find .dev/venv/lib/python3.11/site-packages -name "*ifcopenshell*" || echo "No ifcopenshell files found"
+          find .dev/venv/lib/python3.13/site-packages -name "*ifcopenshell*" || echo "No ifcopenshell files found"
         working-directory: ./backend
 
       - name: Cache frontend dependencies
diff --git a/backend/Makefile b/backend/Makefile
index 2a2488e0..23ee3728 100644
--- a/backend/Makefile
+++ b/backend/Makefile
@@ -9,30 +9,30 @@ none:
 	@echo
 
 venv:
-	test -d $(VIRTUAL_ENV) || python3.11 -m venv $(VIRTUAL_ENV) 
+	test -d $(VIRTUAL_ENV) || python3.13 -m venv $(VIRTUAL_ENV) 
 
 install: venv
 	$(PIP) install --upgrade pip
 	find . -name 'requirements.txt' -exec $(PIP) install -r {} \;
-	wget -O /tmp/ifcopenshell_python.zip "https://s3.amazonaws.com/ifcopenshell-builds/ifcopenshell-python-311-v0.8.4-e8eb5e4-linux64.zip"
-	mkdir -p $(VIRTUAL_ENV)/lib/python3.11/site-packages
-	unzip -f -d $(VIRTUAL_ENV)/lib/python3.11/site-packages /tmp/ifcopenshell_python.zip
+	wget -O /tmp/ifcopenshell_python.zip "https://s3.amazonaws.com/ifcopenshell-builds/ifcopenshell-python-313-v0.8.4-e8eb5e4-linux64.zip"
+	mkdir -p $(VIRTUAL_ENV)/lib/python3.13/site-packages
+	unzip -f -d $(VIRTUAL_ENV)/lib/python3.13/site-packages /tmp/ifcopenshell_python.zip
 	rm /tmp/ifcopenshell_python.zip
 
 install-macos: venv
 	find . -name 'requirements.txt' -exec $(PIP) install -r {} \;
 	$(PIP) install -r requirements.txt
-	wget -O /tmp/ifcopenshell_python.zip "https://s3.amazonaws.com/ifcopenshell-builds/ifcopenshell-python-311-v0.8.4-e8eb5e4-macos64.zip"
-	mkdir -p $(VIRTUAL_ENV)/lib/python3.11/site-packages
-	unzip /tmp/ifcopenshell_python.zip -d $(VIRTUAL_ENV)/lib/python3.11/site-packages
+	wget -O /tmp/ifcopenshell_python.zip "https://s3.amazonaws.com/ifcopenshell-builds/ifcopenshell-python-313-v0.8.4-e8eb5e4-macos64.zip"
+	mkdir -p $(VIRTUAL_ENV)/lib/python3.13/site-packages
+	unzip /tmp/ifcopenshell_python.zip -d $(VIRTUAL_ENV)/lib/python3.13/site-packages
 	rm /tmp/ifcopenshell_python.zip
 
 install-macos-m1: venv
 	find . -name 'requirements.txt' -exec $(PIP) install -r {} \;
 	$(PIP) install -r requirements.txt
-	wget -O /tmp/ifcopenshell_python.zip "https://s3.amazonaws.com/ifcopenshell-builds/ifcopenshell-python-311-v0.8.4-e8eb5e4-macosm164.zip"
-	mkdir -p $(VIRTUAL_ENV)/lib/python3.11/site-packages
-	unzip /tmp/ifcopenshell_python.zip -d $(VIRTUAL_ENV)/lib/python3.11/site-packages
+	wget -O /tmp/ifcopenshell_python.zip "https://s3.amazonaws.com/ifcopenshell-builds/ifcopenshell-python-313-v0.8.4-e8eb5e4-macosm164.zip"
+	mkdir -p $(VIRTUAL_ENV)/lib/python3.13/site-packages
+	unzip /tmp/ifcopenshell_python.zip -d $(VIRTUAL_ENV)/lib/python3.13/site-packages
 	rm /tmp/ifcopenshell_python.zip
 
 fetch-modules:
diff --git a/backend/apps/ifc_validation/tests/tests_header_validation_task.py b/backend/apps/ifc_validation/tests/tests_header_validation_task.py
index 425ead27..b6ce6d59 100644
--- a/backend/apps/ifc_validation/tests/tests_header_validation_task.py
+++ b/backend/apps/ifc_validation/tests/tests_header_validation_task.py
@@ -150,9 +150,9 @@ def test_header_validation_task_correctly_parses_authoring_tool(self):
         # assert
         model = Model.objects.get(id=request.id)
         self.assertIsNotNone(model)
-        self.assertEquals('MyFabTool', model.produced_by.name)
-        self.assertEquals('2025.1', model.produced_by.version)
-        self.assertEquals('Acme Inc.', model.produced_by.company.name)
+        self.assertEqual('MyFabTool', model.produced_by.name)
+        self.assertEqual('2025.1', model.produced_by.version)
+        self.assertEqual('Acme Inc.', model.produced_by.company.name)
 
     def test_header_validation_task_correctly_parses_existing_authoring_tool(self):
 
@@ -176,10 +176,10 @@ def test_header_validation_task_correctly_parses_existing_authoring_tool(self):
         # assert
         model = Model.objects.get(id=request.id)
         self.assertIsNotNone(model)
-        self.assertEquals('MyFabTool', model.produced_by.name)
-        self.assertEquals('2025.1', model.produced_by.version)
-        self.assertEquals('Acme Inc.', model.produced_by.company.name)
-        self.assertEquals(company.id, model.produced_by.id)
+        self.assertEqual('MyFabTool', model.produced_by.name)
+        self.assertEqual('2025.1', model.produced_by.version)
+        self.assertEqual('Acme Inc.', model.produced_by.company.name)
+        self.assertEqual(company.id, model.produced_by.id)
 
     def test_header_validation_task_correctly_parses_existing_authoring_tool2(self):
 
@@ -204,6 +204,6 @@ def test_header_validation_task_correctly_parses_existing_authoring_tool2(self):
         # assert
         model = Model.objects.get(id=request.id)
         self.assertIsNotNone(model)
-        self.assertEquals('MyFabTool', model.produced_by.name)
-        self.assertEquals('2025.1', model.produced_by.version)
-        self.assertEquals('Acme Inc.', model.produced_by.company.name)
+        self.assertEqual('MyFabTool', model.produced_by.name)
+        self.assertEqual('2025.1', model.produced_by.version)
+        self.assertEqual('Acme Inc.', model.produced_by.company.name)
diff --git a/docker/backend/Dockerfile b/docker/backend/Dockerfile
index 2172a48e..8dfbfbee 100644
--- a/docker/backend/Dockerfile
+++ b/docker/backend/Dockerfile
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # BUILD image
-FROM python:3.11-slim-bookworm AS build
+FROM python:3.13-slim-bookworm AS build
 
 ENV PYTHONUNBUFFERED=1 \
     PYTHONDONTWRITEBYTECODE=1 \
@@ -37,9 +37,9 @@ RUN --mount=type=cache,target=/root/.cache \
     find /app/backend -name 'requirements.txt' -exec pip install --no-cache-dir -r {} \; && \
     # use version of ifcopenshell with desired schema parsing
     # TODO: revert to pyPI when schema parsing is published in the future
-    wget -O /tmp/ifcopenshell_python.zip "https://s3.amazonaws.com/ifcopenshell-builds/ifcopenshell-python-311-v0.8.4-e8eb5e4-linux64.zip" && \
-    mkdir -p /opt/venv/lib/python3.11/site-packages  && \
-    unzip -d /opt/venv/lib/python3.11/site-packages /tmp/ifcopenshell_python.zip && \
+    wget -O /tmp/ifcopenshell_python.zip "https://s3.amazonaws.com/ifcopenshell-builds/ifcopenshell-python-313-v0.8.4-e8eb5e4-linux64.zip" && \
+    mkdir -p /opt/venv/lib/python3.13/site-packages  && \
+    unzip -d /opt/venv/lib/python3.13/site-packages /tmp/ifcopenshell_python.zip && \
     # some cleanup
     find /         -type d -name setuptools   -prune -exec rm -rf {} \; && \
     find /         -type d -name pip          -prune -exec rm -rf {} \; && \
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ ADD --chmod=777 ./docker/backend/worker-entrypoint.sh /app/backend
 
 # RUN image
 # NOTE: don't use Alpine images...
-FROM python:3.11-slim-bookworm AS run
+FROM python:3.13-slim-bookworm AS run
 
 WORKDIR /app