# Co-Create: Building GitLab with our users

DevFeed: [Co-Create: Building GitLab with our users](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/co-create-building-gitlab-with-our-users-86.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://about.gitlab.com/blog/co-create-h1-2026/>)

Author: Isa Huerga

Published: 2026-09-10T00:00:00Z

Content type: article

Language: en

Sources: [GitLab](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/gitlab.md>)

Topics: [GitLab](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/gitlab.md>), [CI/CD](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/cicd.md>), [Scala](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/scala.md>), [Claude](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/claude.md>), [Application Security](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/application-security.md>), [Cloud APIs](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/cloud-apis.md>)

Tags: [api](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/api.md>), [ci-cd](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/ci-cd.md>), [co-created](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/co-created.md>), [community](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/community.md>), [contributors](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/contributors.md>), [duo](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/duo.md>), [engineering](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/engineering.md>), [open-source](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/open-source.md>), [rest-api](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/rest-api.md>), [scala](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/scala.md>), [security](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/security.md>)

## AI overview

GitLab users collaborated through the Co-Create program on product improvements delivered in the first half of 2026, including API extensions, CI/CD capabilities, Scala support for AI-powered code understanding, security controls, and integration flexibility.

## Source excerpt

GitLab users bring firsthand experience of the workflows they want to improve. Through our Co-Create program, they collaborate directly with us to design, build, and deliver product improvements that benefit more teams. In the first half of 2026, our users helped us extend APIs, add CI/CD capabilities, expand language support for AI-powered code understanding, strengthen security controls, increase the flexibility of integrations, and make GitLab easier to use and understand. Co-Create gives customers a direct path from a real-world challenge to a product improvement. Customers collaborate with us on the problem and solution, and help deliver the change. Unlike a feedback-only model, this puts real workflow context into the product development process. It creates a shorter path from need to value while helping us validate improvements in real conditions and extend their benefits to more GitLab users. "Over ten years ago, we set out to build code.siemens.com, our internal coding platform based on GitLab, which today serves close to 100,000 people. We've run and scaled the platform with a tiny team, guided by a 'for developers, from developers' philosophy. We co-created hundreds of features such as x509/gpg signed commits, protected container/packages, and project and social features such as follow users, allowing us to strengthen the security and collaboration culture at the scale of Siemens." -- Roger Meier, Distinguished Engineer, Siemens From a specific need to a shared improvement Some of the best product improvements start with a specific, real-world need. GitLab contributors helped us address the following needs: Making Scala codebases understandable to Orbit and GitLab Duo Giving security administrators a way to enforce Secret Push Protection across an entire instance Letting high-throughput teams configure merge train pipeline limits Showing the platforms supported by multi-architecture images Providing screen reader users with more context on documentation pa