As Europe is now entering a new phase in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, we need to start reflecting on what this crisis has taught about the state of European health systems and European health collaboration, and what could be done better or differently in the future. In the effort to making health systems more resilient to future pandemics and other shocks, both public institutions and private stakeholders have an important role to play, and the fight against COVID-19 has more than anything taught us the value of close collaboration.