diff --git a/.github/actions/build-core/action.yml b/.github/actions/build-core/action.yml
index cb92c5a..a9b95c9 100644
--- a/.github/actions/build-core/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/build-core/action.yml
@@ -3,6 +3,11 @@ description: Clone and build TrustyAI-Explainability library (shaded in a single
 runs:
   using: "composite"
   steps:
+    - name: Set up JDK 17
+      uses: actions/setup-java@v2
+      with:
+        distribution: 'adopt'
+        java-version: '17'
     - name: Build explainability-core
       shell: bash
       run: |