diff --git a/.github/workflows/common-workflow.yml b/.github/workflows/common-workflow.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..46b48b11
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/common-workflow.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+name: Build and run tests
+on: 
+  workflow_call:
+    inputs:
+      use-system-libraries: # the variable you can use in place of a matrix
+        required: true
+        type: string
+        default: OFF
+      build-type:
+        required: true
+        type: string
+        default: Debug
+      use-python-bindings:
+        required: true
+        type: string
+        default: OFF
+
+jobs:
+  build-and-test:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v3
+      - uses: mamba-org/setup-micromamba@v1
+        if: ${{ contains(inputs.use-system-libraries, 'ON')}}
+        with:
+          micromamba-version: '1.5.6-0' # any version from https://github.com/mamba-org/micromamba-releases
+          environment-file: aare-environment.yml
+          init-shell: bash
+          cache-environment: true
+          post-cleanup: 'all'
+      - name: build
+        shell: bash -el {0}
+        run: |
+          mkdir build
+          cd build
+          cmake .. -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=${{inputs.build-type}} -DAARE_PYTHON_BINDINGS=${{inputs.use-python-bindings}} -DAARE_SYSTEM_LIBRARIES=${{inputs.use-system-libraries}}
+          cmake --build . -j
+      - name: run tests
+        run: |
+          cd build/
+          ./run_tests
+      - name: run examples
+        # find all examples in build/examples and run them
+        run: |
+          pwd
+          export PROJECT_ROOT_DIR="."
+          ls build/examples/*_example
+          find build/examples -name "*_example"  | xargs -I {} -n 1 -t  bash -c {}
+
+
+
diff --git a/.github/workflows/config.yml b/.github/workflows/config.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..820b417f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/config.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+# config file to run multiple jobs in parallel with matrix strategy
+name: Config Workflow
+
+on:
+  push:
+
+jobs:
+  build-and-test:
+    strategy:
+      # super important if you want to see all results, even if one fails
+      # fail-fast is true by default
+      fail-fast: false
+      matrix:
+        use-system-libraries: ["OFF","ON"]
+        build-type: ["Debug","Release"]
+        use-python-bindings: ["OFF","ON"]
+        # exclude:
+        #   # excludes combinations that are not supported
+        #   - use-python-bindings: "ON"
+        #     use-sanitizers: "ON"
+    
+    uses: ./.github/workflows/common-workflow.yml # calls the one above 
+    with:
+      use-system-libraries: ${{ matrix.use-system-libraries }}
+      build-type: ${{ matrix.build-type }}
+      use-python-bindings: ${{ matrix.use-python-bindings }}
+    secrets: inherit
+
diff --git a/aare-environment.yml b/aare-environment.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ea5c57e2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/aare-environment.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+name: aare
+channels:
+  - conda-forge
+  - defaults
+dependencies:
+  - fmt
+  - pybind11
+  - nlohmann_json
+  - catch2
diff --git a/examples/json_example.cpp b/examples/json_example.cpp
index 1541d934..1a552ea9 100644
--- a/examples/json_example.cpp
+++ b/examples/json_example.cpp
@@ -23,4 +23,4 @@ int main() {
     test(file, 0);
     test(file, 2);
     test(file, 9);
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}