diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 607a348..c0acee0 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -19,3 +19,8 @@ venv.bak/
 # Documentation
 docs/node_modules
 docs/build
+
+# zombienet stuff
+zombienet-macos
+zombienet-linux-x64
+bin-*
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/scripts/zombienet.sh b/scripts/zombienet.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..8385174
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/zombienet.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,102 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+ZOMBIENET_V=v1.3.91
+POLKADOT_V=v1.6.0
+
+case "$(uname -s)" in
+    Linux*)     MACHINE=Linux;;
+    Darwin*)    MACHINE=Mac;;
+    *)          exit 1
+esac
+
+if [ $MACHINE = "Linux" ]; then
+  ZOMBIENET_BIN=zombienet-linux-x64
+elif [ $MACHINE = "Mac" ]; then
+  ZOMBIENET_BIN=zombienet-macos
+fi
+
+BIN_DIR=bin-$POLKADOT_V
+
+build_polkadot() {
+  echo "cloning polkadot repository..."
+  CWD=$(pwd)
+  mkdir -p "$BIN_DIR"
+  pushd /tmp
+    git clone https://github.com/paritytech/polkadot-sdk.git
+    pushd polkadot-sdk
+      git checkout release-polkadot-$POLKADOT_V
+      echo "building polkadot executable..."
+      cargo build --release --features fast-runtime
+      cp target/release/polkadot "$CWD/$BIN_DIR"
+      cp target/release/polkadot-execute-worker "$CWD/$BIN_DIR"
+      cp target/release/polkadot-prepare-worker "$CWD/$BIN_DIR"
+    popd
+  popd
+}
+
+fetch_polkadot() {
+  echo "fetching from polkadot repository..."
+  echo $BIN_DIR
+  mkdir -p "$BIN_DIR"
+  pushd "$BIN_DIR"
+    wget https://github.com/paritytech/polkadot-sdk/releases/download/polkadot-$POLKADOT_V/polkadot
+    wget https://github.com/paritytech/polkadot-sdk/releases/download/polkadot-$POLKADOT_V/polkadot-execute-worker
+    wget https://github.com/paritytech/polkadot-sdk/releases/download/polkadot-$POLKADOT_V/polkadot-prepare-worker
+    chmod +x *
+  popd
+}
+
+zombienet_init() {
+  if [ ! -f $ZOMBIENET_BIN ]; then
+    echo "fetching zombienet executable..."
+    curl -LO https://github.com/paritytech/zombienet/releases/download/$ZOMBIENET_V/$ZOMBIENET_BIN
+    chmod +x $ZOMBIENET_BIN
+  fi
+  if [ ! -f $BIN_DIR/polkadot ]; then
+    fetch_polkadot
+  fi
+}
+
+zombienet_build() {
+  if [ ! -f $ZOMBIENET_BIN ]; then
+    echo "fetching zombienet executable..."
+    curl -LO https://github.com/paritytech/zombienet/releases/download/$ZOMBIENET_V/$ZOMBIENET_BIN
+    chmod +x $ZOMBIENET_BIN
+  fi
+  if [ ! -f $BIN_DIR/polkadot ]; then
+    build_polkadot
+  fi
+}
+
+zombienet_devnet() {
+  zombienet_init
+  cargo build --release
+  echo "spawning rococo-local relay chain plus devnet as a parachain..."
+  local dir=$( cd -- "$( dirname -- "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" )" &> /dev/null && pwd )
+  ./$ZOMBIENET_BIN spawn "$dir/../zombienet-config/devnet.toml" -p native
+}
+
+
+print_help() {
+  echo "This is a shell script to automate the execution of zombienet."
+  echo ""
+  echo "$ ./zombienet.sh init         # fetches zombienet and polkadot executables"
+  echo "$ ./zombienet.sh build        # builds polkadot executables from source"
+  echo "$ ./zombienet.sh devnet       # spawns a rococo-local relay chain plus parachain devnet-local as a parachain"
+}
+
+SUBCOMMAND=$1
+case $SUBCOMMAND in
+  "" | "-h" | "--help")
+    print_help
+    ;;
+  *)
+    shift
+    zombienet_${SUBCOMMAND} $@
+    if [ $? = 127 ]; then
+      echo "Error: '$SUBCOMMAND' is not a known SUBCOMMAND." >&2
+      echo "Run './zombienet.sh --help' for a list of known subcommands." >&2
+        exit 1
+    fi
+  ;;
+esac
diff --git a/zombienet-config/README.md b/zombienet-config/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ef628d5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/zombienet-config/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+# Zombienet configuration
+
+Zombienet aims to be a testing framework for Substrate based blockchains, providing a simple cli tool that allows users to spawn and test ephemeral networks.
+
+## Start a development chain
+
+Firstly build Polkadot binaries with:
+
+```sh
+$ scripts/zombienet.sh build
+```
+
+This process can take some time, so please be patient. If on Linux, you can alternatively download the binaries to speed up the process with:
+
+```shell
+$ scripts/zombinet.sh init
+```
+
+Once Polkadot binaries are in place you can spawn a local testnet by running the following command:
+
+```shell
+$ scripts/zombienet.sh devnet
+```
diff --git a/zombienet-config/devnet.toml b/zombienet-config/devnet.toml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e54c6a0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/zombienet-config/devnet.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+[relaychain]
+chain = "rococo-local"
+default_command = "./bin-v1.6.0/polkadot"
+
+	[[relaychain.nodes]]
+	name = "alice"
+	validator = true
+
+	[[relaychain.nodes]]
+	name = "bob"
+	validator = true
+
+[[parachains]]
+id = 1000
+addToGenesis = true
+cumulus_based = true
+chain = "dev"
+
+	[[parachains.collators]]
+	name = "collator01"
+	command = "./target/release/parachain-template-node"
+	ws_port = 9933
+	rpc_port = 8833
+	args = ["--rpc-max-connections 10000"]
+
+	[[parachains.collators]]
+	name = "collator02"
+	ws_port = 9822
+	rpc_port = 8822
+	command = "./target/release/parachain-template-node"
+	args = ["--rpc-max-connections 10000"]