diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..26e19d471f9c51d35944635a2c0ffd0883de182b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+variables:
+  # all submodules will be cloned recursively upon start of CI job
+  GIT_SUBMODULE_STRATEGY: recursive
+  GIT_SSL_NO_VERIFY: "true"
+
+stages:
+  - build
+
+##########################
+# BUILD stage            #                                
+##########################
+
+build_image:
+  # description: triggers a build of the project as a Docker image,
+  #              each branch will have an individual Docker image that will be used
+  #              in the following stages of the pipeline for testing the code
+  stage: build
+  tags:
+    - docker-image-build
+  script:
+    - ignore
diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..cca60d25d981e0e50d31c3c398c185d6d12cf8b6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+# The release set in this Dockerfile defines the release of the whole project
+# and is parsed by every setup script and by the installation instructions.
+# Be aware of this effect if you edit the release here!
+FROM atlas/atlas_external_cvmfs
+ADD . /calypso
+WORKDIR /build
+RUN setupATLAS && \
+    asetup master,latest,Athena && \
+    cmake -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=../run ../calypso && \
+    make
+