diff --git a/spring-batch-excel/pom.xml b/spring-batch-excel/pom.xml
index aa789970..20948b8c 100644
--- a/spring-batch-excel/pom.xml
+++ b/spring-batch-excel/pom.xml
@@ -42,16 +42,16 @@
         <project.build.sourceEncoding>UTF-8</project.build.sourceEncoding>
         <project.reporting.outputEncoding>UTF-8</project.reporting.outputEncoding>
 
-        <java.version>1.8</java.version>
+        <java.version>17</java.version>
 
-        <spring.batch.version>4.3.9</spring.batch.version>
-        <poi.version>4.1.2</poi.version>
+        <spring.batch.version>5.1.2</spring.batch.version>
+        <poi.version>5.3.0</poi.version>
 
 		<!-- Test Dependencies -->
-		<assertj.version>3.18.1</assertj.version>
-		<junit.jupiter.version>5.8.2</junit.jupiter.version>
+		<assertj.version>3.26.3</assertj.version>
+		<junit.jupiter.version>5.10.2</junit.jupiter.version>
 		<slf4j.version>1.7.36</slf4j.version>
-		<mockito.version>3.12.4</mockito.version>
+		<mockito.version>5.12.0</mockito.version>
     </properties>
 
 	<developers>
diff --git a/spring-batch-excel/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/extensions/excel/AbstractExcelItemReader.java b/spring-batch-excel/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/extensions/excel/AbstractExcelItemReader.java
index 0d6ad2bf..fb12cbb4 100644
--- a/spring-batch-excel/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/extensions/excel/AbstractExcelItemReader.java
+++ b/spring-batch-excel/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/extensions/excel/AbstractExcelItemReader.java
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ protected T doRead() {
 	 */
 	@Override
 	protected void jumpToItem(final int itemIndex) {
-		RowMapper<T> current = this.rowMapper;
+		var current = this.rowMapper;
 		this.rowMapper = (rs) -> null;
 		try {
 			for (int i = 0; i < itemIndex; i++) {
@@ -145,8 +145,8 @@ protected void jumpToItem(final int itemIndex) {
 	}
 
 	private boolean isInvalidValidRow(RowSet rs) {
-		for (String str : rs.getCurrentRow()) {
-			if (str.length() > 0) {
+		for (var str : rs.getCurrentRow()) {
+			if (!str.isEmpty()) {
 				return false;
 			}
 		}
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ public void setResource(final Resource resource) {
 		this.resource = resource;
 	}
 
-	public void afterPropertiesSet() throws Exception {
+	public void afterPropertiesSet() {
 		Assert.notNull(this.rowMapper, "RowMapper must be set");
 		if (this.datesAsIso) {
 			this.dataFormatter = (this.userLocale != null) ? new IsoFormattingDateDataFormatter(this.userLocale) : new IsoFormattingDateDataFormatter();
diff --git a/spring-batch-excel/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/extensions/excel/mapping/BeanWrapperRowMapper.java b/spring-batch-excel/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/extensions/excel/mapping/BeanWrapperRowMapper.java
index 96a9297a..9db70f3f 100644
--- a/spring-batch-excel/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/extensions/excel/mapping/BeanWrapperRowMapper.java
+++ b/spring-batch-excel/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/extensions/excel/mapping/BeanWrapperRowMapper.java
@@ -140,11 +140,10 @@ public void setTargetType(Class<? extends T> type) {
 
 	/**
 	 * Check that precisely one of type or prototype bean name is specified.
-	 * @throws IllegalStateException if neither is set or both properties are set.
 	 * @see org.springframework.beans.factory.InitializingBean#afterPropertiesSet()
 	 */
 	@Override
-	public void afterPropertiesSet() throws Exception {
+	public void afterPropertiesSet() {
 		Assert.state(this.name != null || this.type != null, "Either name or type must be provided.");
 		Assert.state(this.name == null || this.type == null, "Both name and type cannot be specified together.");
 	}
diff --git a/spring-batch-excel/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/extensions/excel/mapping/PassThroughRowMapper.java b/spring-batch-excel/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/extensions/excel/mapping/PassThroughRowMapper.java
index 195c172b..3bad5ba7 100644
--- a/spring-batch-excel/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/extensions/excel/mapping/PassThroughRowMapper.java
+++ b/spring-batch-excel/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/extensions/excel/mapping/PassThroughRowMapper.java
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
 public class PassThroughRowMapper implements RowMapper<String[]> {
 
 	@Override
-	public String[] mapRow(final RowSet rs) throws Exception {
+	public String[] mapRow(final RowSet rs) {
 		return rs.getCurrentRow();
 	}
 
diff --git a/spring-batch-excel/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/extensions/excel/mapping/PropertyMatches.java b/spring-batch-excel/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/extensions/excel/mapping/PropertyMatches.java
index 9490c51e..2b7633d5 100644
--- a/spring-batch-excel/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/extensions/excel/mapping/PropertyMatches.java
+++ b/spring-batch-excel/src/main/java/org/springframework/batch/extensions/excel/mapping/PropertyMatches.java
@@ -100,10 +100,10 @@ private String[] calculateMatches(PropertyDescriptor[] propertyDescriptors, int
 	 * @return the distance value
 	 */
 	private int calculateStringDistance(String s1, String s2) {
-		if (s1.length() == 0) {
+		if (s1.isEmpty()) {
 			return s2.length();
 		}
-		if (s2.length() == 0) {
+		if (s2.isEmpty()) {
 			return s1.length();
 		}
 		int[][] d = new int[s1.length() + 1][s2.length() + 1];
diff --git a/spring-batch-excel/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/extensions/excel/MockExcelItemReader.java b/spring-batch-excel/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/extensions/excel/MockExcelItemReader.java
index 52f7c6d1..4468eb7c 100644
--- a/spring-batch-excel/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/extensions/excel/MockExcelItemReader.java
+++ b/spring-batch-excel/src/test/java/org/springframework/batch/extensions/excel/MockExcelItemReader.java
@@ -50,12 +50,12 @@ protected int getNumberOfSheets() {
 	}
 
 	@Override
-	protected void openExcelFile(Resource resource, String password) throws Exception {
+	protected void openExcelFile(Resource resource, String password) {
 
 	}
 
 	@Override
-	protected void doClose() throws Exception {
+	protected void doClose() {
 		this.sheets.clear();
 	}