diff --git a/.classpath b/.classpath
index 5ab88d4..b6a821b 100644
--- a/.classpath
+++ b/.classpath
@@ -34,9 +34,9 @@
 			<attribute name="org.eclipse.jst.component.dependency" value="/WEB-INF/lib"/>
 		</attributes>
 	</classpathentry>
-	<classpathentry kind="con" path="org.eclipse.jdt.launching.JRE_CONTAINER/org.eclipse.jdt.internal.debug.ui.launcher.StandardVMType/JavaSE-1.7">
+	<classpathentry kind="con" path="org.eclipse.jdt.launching.JRE_CONTAINER/org.eclipse.jdt.internal.debug.ui.launcher.StandardVMType/JavaSE-1.8">
 		<attributes>
-			<attribute name="maven.pomderived" value="true"/>
+			<attribute name="owner.project.facets" value="java"/>
 		</attributes>
 	</classpathentry>
 	<classpathentry kind="output" path="target/vre-members-2.2.0-SNAPSHOT/WEB-INF/classes"/>
diff --git a/.settings/org.eclipse.jdt.core.prefs b/.settings/org.eclipse.jdt.core.prefs
index 443e085..6e80039 100644
--- a/.settings/org.eclipse.jdt.core.prefs
+++ b/.settings/org.eclipse.jdt.core.prefs
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 eclipse.preferences.version=1
 org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.codegen.inlineJsrBytecode=enabled
-org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.codegen.targetPlatform=1.7
-org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.compliance=1.7
+org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.codegen.targetPlatform=1.8
+org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.compliance=1.8
 org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.problem.assertIdentifier=error
 org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.problem.enumIdentifier=error
 org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.problem.forbiddenReference=warning
-org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.source=1.7
+org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.source=1.8
diff --git a/.settings/org.eclipse.wst.common.component b/.settings/org.eclipse.wst.common.component
index 77f2184..bf0868d 100644
--- a/.settings/org.eclipse.wst.common.component
+++ b/.settings/org.eclipse.wst.common.component
@@ -4,9 +4,6 @@
 		<wb-resource deploy-path="/" source-path="/src/main/webapp" tag="defaultRootSource"/>
 		<wb-resource deploy-path="/WEB-INF/classes" source-path="/src/main/java"/>
         <wb-resource deploy-path="/WEB-INF/classes" source-path="/src/main/resources"/>
-        <dependent-module archiveName="gcube-widgets-2.1.0-SNAPSHOT.jar" deploy-path="/WEB-INF/lib" handle="module:/resource/gcube-widgets/gcube-widgets">
-            <dependency-type>uses</dependency-type>
-        </dependent-module>
 		<property name="java-output-path" value="/${module}/target/www/WEB-INF/classes"/>
 		<property name="context-root" value="vre-members"/>
 	</wb-module>
diff --git a/.settings/org.eclipse.wst.common.project.facet.core.xml b/.settings/org.eclipse.wst.common.project.facet.core.xml
index 3b9d922..7ffedd6 100644
--- a/.settings/org.eclipse.wst.common.project.facet.core.xml
+++ b/.settings/org.eclipse.wst.common.project.facet.core.xml
@@ -3,6 +3,6 @@
   <fixed facet="wst.jsdt.web"/>
   <installed facet="jst.web" version="3.0"/>
   <installed facet="wst.jsdt.web" version="1.0"/>
-  <installed facet="java" version="1.7"/>
   <installed facet="liferay.portlet" version="6.2"/>
+  <installed facet="java" version="1.8"/>
 </faceted-project>
diff --git a/distro/changelog.xml b/distro/changelog.xml
index 5a86bb9..47d6c61 100644
--- a/distro/changelog.xml
+++ b/distro/changelog.xml
@@ -1,4 +1,8 @@
 <ReleaseNotes>
+	<Changeset component="org.gcube.portlet.user.vre-members.2-3-0"
+		date="2017-11-12">
+		<Change>Ported to GWT 2.8.1</Change>
+	</Changeset>
 	<Changeset component="org.gcube.portlet.user.vre-members.2-2-0"
 		date="2016-11-25">
 		<Change>Removed ASL Session</Change>
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index a07fbe8..c0efe4e 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 	<groupId>org.gcube.portlets.user</groupId>
 	<artifactId>vre-members</artifactId>
 	<packaging>war</packaging>
-	<version>2.2.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
+	<version>2.3.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
 	<name>gCube VRE Members Portlet</name>
 	<description>
 		VRE Members display the members of the current VRE
@@ -25,10 +25,10 @@
 	</scm>
 	<properties>
 		<!-- Convenience property to set the GWT version -->
-		<gwtVersion>2.7.0</gwtVersion>
+		<gwtVersion>2.8.1</gwtVersion>
 		<distroDirectory>distro</distroDirectory>
-		<maven.compiler.source>1.7</maven.compiler.source>
-		<maven.compiler.target>1.7</maven.compiler.target>
+		<maven.compiler.source>1.8</maven.compiler.source>
+		<maven.compiler.target>1.8</maven.compiler.target>
 		<webappDirectory>${project.build.directory}/${project.build.finalName}</webappDirectory>
 		<liferay.version>6.2.5</liferay.version>
 		<project.build.sourceEncoding>UTF-8</project.build.sourceEncoding>
@@ -74,10 +74,10 @@
 			<artifactId>gwt-bootstrap</artifactId>
 		</dependency>
 		<dependency>
-			<groupId>org.gcube.portlets.user</groupId>
-			<artifactId>gcube-widgets</artifactId>
-			<scope>compile</scope>
-		</dependency>	
+			<groupId>xml-apis</groupId>
+			<artifactId>xml-apis</artifactId>
+			<version>1.4.01</version>
+		</dependency>
 		<dependency>
 			<groupId>com.google</groupId>
 			<artifactId>gwt-jsonmaker</artifactId>
@@ -162,8 +162,8 @@
 				<artifactId>maven-compiler-plugin</artifactId>
 				<version>2.3.2</version>
 				<configuration>
-					<source>1.7</source>
-					<target>1.7</target>
+					<source>${maven.compiler.source}</source>
+					<target>${maven.compiler.target}</target>
 				</configuration>
 			</plugin>
 			<!-- SA Plugin -->
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/gcube/portlets/user/vremembers/client/ui/DisplayBadge.ui.xml b/src/main/java/org/gcube/portlets/user/vremembers/client/ui/DisplayBadge.ui.xml
index ff54f99..917628e 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/gcube/portlets/user/vremembers/client/ui/DisplayBadge.ui.xml
+++ b/src/main/java/org/gcube/portlets/user/vremembers/client/ui/DisplayBadge.ui.xml
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 <!DOCTYPE ui:UiBinder SYSTEM "http://dl.google.com/gwt/DTD/xhtml.ent">
 <ui:UiBinder xmlns:ui="urn:ui:com.google.gwt.uibinder"
-	xmlns:g="urn:import:com.google.gwt.user.client.ui"
-	xmlns:m="urn:import:org.gcube.portlets.user.gcubewidgets.client.elements">
+	xmlns:g="urn:import:com.google.gwt.user.client.ui">
 	<g:HTMLPanel ui:field="mainPanel" styleName="framed">
 		<div class="photo-details">
 			<a ui:field="imageRedirect" href="">
diff --git a/src/main/resources/org/gcube/portlets/user/vremembers/VreMembers.gwt.xml b/src/main/resources/org/gcube/portlets/user/vremembers/VreMembers.gwt.xml
index 42fbdca..15b7876 100644
--- a/src/main/resources/org/gcube/portlets/user/vremembers/VreMembers.gwt.xml
+++ b/src/main/resources/org/gcube/portlets/user/vremembers/VreMembers.gwt.xml
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@
 	
 <!-- 	<set-property name="user.agent" value="gecko1_8,safari" /> -->
 	<inherits name="com.github.gwtbootstrap.Bootstrap" />
-	<inherits name='org.gcube.portlets.user.gcubewidgets.WidgetFactory' />
 	<inherits name='org.gcube.portal.databook.GCubeSocialNetworking' />
 	<!-- Other module inherits -->
 
diff --git a/src/main/webapp/WEB-INF/web.xml b/src/main/webapp/WEB-INF/web.xml
index 43186f9..d7571a5 100644
--- a/src/main/webapp/WEB-INF/web.xml
+++ b/src/main/webapp/WEB-INF/web.xml
@@ -10,21 +10,11 @@
 		<servlet-class>org.gcube.portlets.user.vremembers.server.MembersServiceImpl</servlet-class>
 	</servlet>
 
-	<servlet>
-		<servlet-name>scopeService</servlet-name>
-		<servlet-class>org.gcube.portlets.user.gcubewidgets.server.ScopeServiceImpl</servlet-class>
-	</servlet>
-
 	<servlet-mapping>
 		<servlet-name>greetServlet</servlet-name>
 		<url-pattern>/vremembers/memberservice</url-pattern>
 	</servlet-mapping>
 
-	<servlet-mapping>
-		<servlet-name>scopeService</servlet-name>
-		<url-pattern>/vremembers/scopeService</url-pattern>
-	</servlet-mapping>
-
 	<!-- Default page to serve -->
 	<welcome-file-list>
 		<welcome-file>VreMembers.html</welcome-file>