The current dairy sector’s primary focus is on increasing production, improving efficiency and optimizing economic performance. Animal diseases and reduced animal well-being are the undesirable but inevitable side effects of this. Despite major research and practical efforts, the health, well-being and useful life of dairy cows have barely improved in the past 20 years. This leads to increasing costs for the dairy sector and also poses risks for its image. Targeted actions are necessary to achieve substantial advances in animal health. New insights into the functioning of the immune system of humans and animals open up prospects of a breakthrough. This, however, calls for a radical change in perspective: the primary business focus must be on animal resilience, with low costs, high labour efficiency, better animal well-being and food safety as possible profitable spin-offs. The concept was published at the end of 2006 in a publication entitled ‘Resilient Cattle’.