diff --git a/.github/workflows/cd.yml b/.github/workflows/cd.yml
index 3ad92f9..15054cd 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/cd.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/cd.yml
@@ -3,13 +3,17 @@ on:
   release:
     types: [published]
   workflow_dispatch:
+  pull_request:
+    paths:
+      - .github/workflows/cd.yml
 
 jobs:
   python-packaging:
     name: 🐍 Packaging
-    uses: cda-tum/mqt-core/.github/workflows/reusable-python-packaging.yml@v2.2.2
+    uses: cda-tum/mqt-workflows/.github/workflows/reusable-python-packaging.yml@v1.1.4
     with:
       setup-z3: true
+      z3-version: 4.12.6 # 4.13.0 has incorrectly tagged manylinux wheels
 
   deploy:
     if: github.event_name == 'release' && github.event.action == 'published'
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index f3f3441..df925e8 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -14,15 +14,13 @@ concurrency:
 jobs:
   change-detection:
     name: 🔍 Change
-    uses: cda-tum/mqt-core/.github/workflows/reusable-change-detection.yml@v2.2.2
+    uses: cda-tum/mqt-workflows/.github/workflows/reusable-change-detection.yml@v1.1.4
 
   cpp-tests:
     name: 🇨‌ Test
     needs: change-detection
     if: fromJSON(needs.change-detection.outputs.run-cpp-tests)
-    uses: cda-tum/mqt-core/.github/workflows/reusable-cpp-ci.yml@v2.2.2
-    secrets:
-      token: ${{ secrets.CODECOV_TOKEN }}
+    uses: cda-tum/mqt-workflows/.github/workflows/reusable-cpp-ci.yml@v1.1.4
     with:
       setup-z3: true
 
@@ -30,7 +28,7 @@ jobs:
     name: 🇨‌ Lint
     needs: change-detection
     if: fromJSON(needs.change-detection.outputs.run-cpp-linter)
-    uses: cda-tum/mqt-core/.github/workflows/reusable-cpp-linter.yml@v2.2.2
+    uses: cda-tum/mqt-workflows/.github/workflows/reusable-cpp-linter.yml@v1.1.4
     with:
       setup-z3: true
 
@@ -38,7 +36,7 @@ jobs:
     name: 📝 CodeQL
     needs: change-detection
     if: fromJSON(needs.change-detection.outputs.run-code-ql)
-    uses: cda-tum/mqt-core/.github/workflows/reusable-code-ql.yml@main
+    uses: cda-tum/mqt-workflows/.github/workflows/reusable-code-ql.yml@v1.1.4
     with:
       setup-z3: true
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/update-mqt-core.yml b/.github/workflows/update-mqt-core.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6ed788f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/update-mqt-core.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+name: Update MQT Core
+on:
+  schedule:
+    # run once a month on the first day of the month at 00:00 UTC
+    - cron: "0 0 1 * *"
+  workflow_dispatch:
+    inputs:
+      update-to-head:
+        description: "Update to the latest commit on the default branch"
+        type: boolean
+        required: false
+        default: false
+  pull_request:
+    paths:
+      - .github/workflows/update-mqt-core.yml
+
+concurrency:
+  group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.head_ref || github.run_id }}
+  cancel-in-progress: true
+
+jobs:
+  update-mqt-core:
+    name: ⬆️ Update MQT Core
+    uses: cda-tum/mqt-workflows/.github/workflows/reusable-mqt-core-update.yml@v1.1.4
+    with:
+      update-to-head: ${{ fromJSON(github.event.inputs.update-to-head) || false }}
diff --git a/.gitmodules b/.gitmodules
deleted file mode 100644
index 0bd135b..0000000
--- a/.gitmodules
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,4 +0,0 @@
-[submodule "extern/qfr"]
-	path = extern/mqt-core
-	url = https://github.com/cda-tum/mqt-core.git
-    branch = main
diff --git a/.pre-commit-config.yaml b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
index a8119fd..55b1d3c 100644
--- a/.pre-commit-config.yaml
+++ b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ ci:
 repos:
   # Standard hooks
   - repo: https://github.com/pre-commit/pre-commit-hooks
-    rev: v4.5.0
+    rev: v4.6.0
     hooks:
       - id: check-added-large-files
       - id: check-case-conflict
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ repos:
 
   # Python linting using ruff
   - repo: https://github.com/astral-sh/ruff-pre-commit
-    rev: v0.3.4
+    rev: v0.5.0
     hooks:
       - id: ruff
         args: ["--fix", "--show-fixes"]
@@ -56,14 +56,14 @@ repos:
 
   # Also run Black on examples in the documentation
   - repo: https://github.com/adamchainz/blacken-docs
-    rev: 1.16.0
+    rev: 1.18.0
     hooks:
       - id: blacken-docs
         additional_dependencies: [black==23.*]
 
   # Check static types with mypy
   - repo: https://github.com/pre-commit/mirrors-mypy
-    rev: v1.9.0
+    rev: v1.10.1
     hooks:
       - id: mypy
         files: ^(src/mqt)
@@ -73,14 +73,14 @@ repos:
 
   # Check for spelling
   - repo: https://github.com/codespell-project/codespell
-    rev: v2.2.6
+    rev: v2.3.0
     hooks:
       - id: codespell
         args: ["-L", "wille,linz,applys,lits", "--skip", "*.ipynb"]
 
   # Clang-format the C++ part of the code base automatically
   - repo: https://github.com/pre-commit/mirrors-clang-format
-    rev: v18.1.2
+    rev: v18.1.8
     hooks:
       - id: clang-format
         types_or: [c++, c, cuda]
@@ -91,8 +91,6 @@ repos:
     hooks:
       - id: cmake-format
         additional_dependencies: [pyyaml]
-      - id: cmake-lint
-        additional_dependencies: [pyyaml]
 
   # Format configuration files with prettier
   - repo: https://github.com/pre-commit/mirrors-prettier
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index e2cc55d..36bd105 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -6,20 +6,9 @@ project(
   LANGUAGES CXX
   DESCRIPTION "A Tool for Utilizing SAT in Quantum Computing")
 
-# check whether the submodule ``modulename`` is correctly cloned in the ``/extern`` directory.
-macro(CHECK_SUBMODULE_PRESENT modulename)
-  if(NOT EXISTS "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/extern/${modulename}/CMakeLists.txt")
-    message(
-      FATAL_ERROR
-        "${modulename} submodule not cloned properly. \
-        Please run `git submodule update --init --recursive` \
-        from the main project directory")
-  endif()
-endmacro()
-
-check_submodule_present(mqt-core)
-
 option(BUILD_MQT_QUSAT_BINDINGS "Build the MQT QUSAT Python bindings" OFF)
+option(BUILD_MQT_QUSAT_TESTS "Also build tests for the MQT QUSAT project" ON)
+
 if(BUILD_MQT_QUSAT_BINDINGS)
   # ensure that the BINDINGS option is set
   set(BINDINGS
@@ -43,14 +32,12 @@ endif()
 # Add path for custom modules
 list(APPEND CMAKE_MODULE_PATH "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/cmake")
 
-# search for Z3
-find_package(Z3 REQUIRED)
+include(cmake/ExternalDependencies.cmake)
 
 # add main library code
 add_subdirectory(src)
 
 # add test code
-option(BUILD_MQT_QUSAT_TESTS "Also build tests for the MQT QUSAT project" ON)
 if(BUILD_MQT_QUSAT_TESTS)
   enable_testing()
   include(GoogleTest)
diff --git a/cmake/ExternalDependencies.cmake b/cmake/ExternalDependencies.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9c8a420
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmake/ExternalDependencies.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,89 @@
+# Declare all external dependencies and make sure that they are available.
+
+include(FetchContent)
+set(FETCH_PACKAGES "")
+
+# search for Z3
+find_package(Z3 REQUIRED)
+
+if(BUILD_MQT_QUSAT_BINDINGS)
+  if(NOT SKBUILD)
+    # Manually detect the installed pybind11 package.
+    execute_process(
+      COMMAND "${Python_EXECUTABLE}" -m pybind11 --cmakedir
+      OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE
+      OUTPUT_VARIABLE pybind11_DIR)
+
+    # Add the detected directory to the CMake prefix path.
+    list(APPEND CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH "${pybind11_DIR}")
+  endif()
+
+  # add pybind11 library
+  find_package(pybind11 CONFIG REQUIRED)
+endif()
+
+# cmake-format: off
+set(MQT_CORE_VERSION 2.5.1
+    CACHE STRING "MQT Core version")
+set(MQT_CORE_REV "35e06ca3067ca3cf36bda1f0c38edf5bd7456fb6"
+    CACHE STRING "MQT Core identifier (tag, branch or commit hash)")
+set(MQT_CORE_REPO_OWNER "cda-tum"
+    CACHE STRING "MQT Core repository owner (change when using a fork)")
+# cmake-format: on
+if(CMAKE_VERSION VERSION_GREATER_EQUAL 3.24)
+  FetchContent_Declare(
+    mqt-core
+    GIT_REPOSITORY https://github.com/${MQT_CORE_REPO_OWNER}/mqt-core.git
+    GIT_TAG ${MQT_CORE_REV}
+    FIND_PACKAGE_ARGS ${MQT_CORE_VERSION})
+  list(APPEND FETCH_PACKAGES mqt-core)
+else()
+  find_package(mqt-core ${MQT_CORE_VERSION} QUIET)
+  if(NOT mqt-core_FOUND)
+    FetchContent_Declare(
+      mqt-core
+      GIT_REPOSITORY https://github.com/${MQT_CORE_REPO_OWNER}/mqt-core.git
+      GIT_TAG ${MQT_CORE_REV})
+    list(APPEND FETCH_PACKAGES mqt-core)
+  endif()
+endif()
+
+if(BUILD_MQT_QUSAT_TESTS)
+  set(gtest_force_shared_crt
+      ON
+      CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
+  set(GTEST_VERSION
+      1.14.0
+      CACHE STRING "Google Test version")
+  set(GTEST_URL https://github.com/google/googletest/archive/refs/tags/v${GTEST_VERSION}.tar.gz)
+  if(CMAKE_VERSION VERSION_GREATER_EQUAL 3.24)
+    FetchContent_Declare(googletest URL ${GTEST_URL} FIND_PACKAGE_ARGS ${GTEST_VERSION} NAMES GTest)
+    list(APPEND FETCH_PACKAGES googletest)
+  else()
+    find_package(googletest ${GTEST_VERSION} QUIET NAMES GTest)
+    if(NOT googletest_FOUND)
+      FetchContent_Declare(googletest URL ${GTEST_URL})
+      list(APPEND FETCH_PACKAGES googletest)
+    endif()
+  endif()
+endif()
+
+if(BUILD_MQT_QUSAT_BINDINGS)
+  # add pybind11_json library
+  if(CMAKE_VERSION VERSION_GREATER_EQUAL 3.24)
+    FetchContent_Declare(
+      pybind11_json
+      GIT_REPOSITORY https://github.com/pybind/pybind11_json
+      FIND_PACKAGE_ARGS)
+    list(APPEND FETCH_PACKAGES pybind11_json)
+  else()
+    find_package(pybind11_json QUIET)
+    if(NOT pybind11_json_FOUND)
+      FetchContent_Declare(pybind11_json GIT_REPOSITORY https://github.com/pybind/pybind11_json)
+      list(APPEND FETCH_PACKAGES pybind11_json)
+    endif()
+  endif()
+endif()
+
+# Make all declared dependencies available.
+FetchContent_MakeAvailable(${FETCH_PACKAGES})
diff --git a/extern/mqt-core b/extern/mqt-core
deleted file mode 160000
index 87f97a3..0000000
--- a/extern/mqt-core
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Subproject commit 87f97a38f9bcc61131bd891f3789ff18f2aaefc7
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 309c3e0..831e686 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 [build-system]
-requires = ["scikit-build-core>=0.6.1", "setuptools-scm>=7", "pybind11>=2.11"]
+requires = ["scikit-build-core>=0.8.1", "setuptools-scm>=7", "pybind11>=2.12"]
 build-backend = "scikit_build_core.build"
 
 [project]
@@ -46,24 +46,23 @@ Research = "https://www.cda.cit.tum.de/research/quantum"
 
 [tool.scikit-build]
 # Protect the configuration against future changes in scikit-build-core
-minimum-version = "0.6.1"
+minimum-version = "0.8.1"
 
-# Set the target to build
-cmake.targets = ["pyqusat"]
+# Set the wheel install directory
+wheel.install-dir = "mqt/qusat"
 
 # Set required CMake and Ninja versions
-cmake.minimum-version = "3.19"
-ninja.minimum-version = "1.10"
+cmake.version = ">=3.19"
+ninja.version = ">=1.10"
 
 # Setuptools-style build caching in a local directory
 build-dir = "build/{wheel_tag}"
 
-# Build stable ABI wheels for CPython 3.12+
-wheel.py-api = "cp312"
-
 # Explicitly set the package directory
 wheel.packages = ["src/mqt"]
 
+install.components = ["mqt-qusat_Python"]
+
 metadata.version.provider = "scikit_build_core.metadata.setuptools_scm"
 sdist.include = ["src/mqt/qusat/_version.py"]
 sdist.exclude = [
@@ -221,20 +220,21 @@ build = "cp3*"
 skip = "*-musllinux*"
 archs = "auto64"
 test-command = "python -c \"from mqt import qusat\""
-test-skip = "cp312-*"  # Qiskit Terra does not support Python 3.12 yet
-build-frontend = "build"
+test-skip = "cp38-macosx_arm64"
+build-frontend = "build[uv]"
 
 [tool.cibuildwheel.linux]
 environment = { Z3_ROOT="/opt/python/cp311-cp311/lib/python3.11/site-packages/z3", DEPLOY="ON" }
-before-all = "/opt/python/cp311-cp311/bin/pip install z3-solver==4.11.2"
+before-all = "/opt/python/cp311-cp311/bin/pip install z3-solver==4.12.6"
 repair-wheel-command = [
     "export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$LD_LIBRARY_PATH:/opt/python/cp311-cp311/lib/python3.11/site-packages/z3/lib",
     "auditwheel repair -w {dest_dir} {wheel}",
 ]
 
 [tool.cibuildwheel.macos]
-environment = { MACOSX_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET = "10.15" }
+environment = { MACOSX_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET = "11.0" }
 
 [tool.cibuildwheel.windows]
-before-build = "pip install delvewheel"
-repair-wheel-command = "delvewheel repair -v -w {dest_dir} {wheel}"
+before-build = "pip install delvewheel>=1.4.0"
+repair-wheel-command = "delvewheel repair -v -w {dest_dir} {wheel} --namespace-pkg mqt"
+environment = { CMAKE_GENERATOR = "Ninja" }
diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index 3930d4d..ae158fa 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,8 +1,3 @@
-# add MQT::Core target
-set(BUILD_MQT_CORE_TESTS
-    OFF
-    CACHE BOOL "Build MQT Core tests")
-add_subdirectory("${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/extern/mqt-core" "extern/mqt-core" EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL)
 # main project library
 add_library(${PROJECT_NAME} ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/include/SatEncoder.hpp
                             ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/include/Statistics.hpp SatEncoder.cpp)
@@ -12,7 +7,10 @@ target_include_directories(${PROJECT_NAME} PUBLIC ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/include
                                                   ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/include)
 
 # link to the MQT::Core libraries
-target_link_libraries(${PROJECT_NAME} PUBLIC MQT::Core)
+target_link_libraries(
+  ${PROJECT_NAME}
+  PUBLIC MQT::Core nlohmann_json::nlohmann_json
+  PRIVATE MQT::ProjectOptions MQT::ProjectWarnings)
 
 # add z3 SMT solver
 target_link_libraries(${PROJECT_NAME} PUBLIC z3::z3lib)
diff --git a/src/python/CMakeLists.txt b/src/python/CMakeLists.txt
index 53364a9..92dad8c 100644
--- a/src/python/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/python/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,44 +1,26 @@
-if(NOT SKBUILD)
-  message(
-    NOTICE
-    "\
-  This CMake file is meant to be executed using 'scikit-build'. Running
-  it directly will almost certainly not produce the desired result. If
-  you are a user trying to install this package, please use the command
-  below, which will install all necessary build dependencies, compile
-  the package in an isolated environment, and then install it.
-  =====================================================================
-   $ pip install .
-  =====================================================================
-  If you are a software developer, and this is your own package, then
-  it is usually much more efficient to install the build dependencies
-  in your environment once and use the following command that avoids
-  a costly creation of a new virtual environment at every compilation:
-  =====================================================================
-   $ pip install 'scikit-build-core[pyproject]' setuptools_scm pybind11
-   $ pip install --no-build-isolation -ve .
-  =====================================================================
-  You may optionally add -Ceditable.rebuild=true to auto-rebuild when
-  the package is imported. Otherwise, you need to re-run the above
-  after editing C++ files.")
+if(APPLE)
+  set(BASEPOINT @loader_path)
+else()
+  set(BASEPOINT $ORIGIN)
 endif()
+list(APPEND CMAKE_INSTALL_RPATH ${BASEPOINT} ${BASEPOINT}/${CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR})
+set(CMAKE_INSTALL_RPATH_USE_LINK_PATH TRUE)
+set(CMAKE_BUILD_WITH_INSTALL_RPATH TRUE)
 
-if(NOT SKBUILD)
-  # Manually detect the installed pybind11 package and import it into CMake.
-  execute_process(
-    COMMAND "${Python_EXECUTABLE}" -m pybind11 --cmakedir
-    OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE
-    OUTPUT_VARIABLE pybind11_DIR)
-  list(APPEND CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH "${pybind11_DIR}")
-endif()
-
-# Import pybind11 through CMake's find_package mechanism
-find_package(pybind11 CONFIG REQUIRED)
-
-# We are now ready to compile the actual extension module
-pybind11_add_module(py${PROJECT_NAME} bindings.cpp)
+pybind11_add_module(
+  py${PROJECT_NAME}
+  # Prefer thin LTO if available
+  THIN_LTO
+  # Optimize the bindings for size
+  OPT_SIZE
+  # Source code goes here
+  bindings.cpp)
 target_compile_definitions(py${PROJECT_NAME} PRIVATE Z3_FOUND)
-target_link_libraries(py${PROJECT_NAME} PRIVATE ${PROJECT_NAME} MQT::CorePython)
+target_link_libraries(py${PROJECT_NAME} PRIVATE ${PROJECT_NAME} MQT::CorePython MQT::ProjectOptions
+                                                MQT::ProjectWarnings)
 
 # Install directive for scikit-build-core
-install(TARGETS py${PROJECT_NAME} LIBRARY DESTINATION mqt/qusat)
+install(
+  TARGETS py${PROJECT_NAME}
+  DESTINATION .
+  COMPONENT mqt-${PROJECT_NAME}_Python)
diff --git a/test/CMakeLists.txt b/test/CMakeLists.txt
index 65de093..a1001ca 100644
--- a/test/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/test/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,11 +1 @@
-if(NOT TARGET gtest OR NOT TARGET gmock)
-  # Prevent overriding the parent project's compiler/linker settings on Windows
-  set(gtest_force_shared_crt # cmake-lint: disable=C0103
-      ON
-      CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
-  add_subdirectory("${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/extern/mqt-core/extern/googletest"
-                   "extern/mqt-core/extern/googletest" EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL)
-  set_target_properties(gtest gtest_main gmock gmock_main PROPERTIES FOLDER extern)
-endif()
-
 package_add_test(${PROJECT_NAME}_test ${PROJECT_NAME} test_satencoder.cpp)
diff --git a/test/test_satencoder.cpp b/test/test_satencoder.cpp
index f58df01..934b1a8 100644
--- a/test/test_satencoder.cpp
+++ b/test/test_satencoder.cpp
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 #endif
 
 #include <filesystem>
+#include <fstream>
 #include <gtest/gtest.h>
 #include <locale>