Respiratory bacterial infections place a heavy burden on healthcare systems across the globe.  Pneumonia alone is responsible for the deaths of more than 1 million children every year and, in Germany, it is responsible for between 250,000 and 300,000 hospitalisations in the same period. The mainstay treatment for these diseases is antibiotics, but increased resistance through over-prescription and the lack of new products in the pipeline emphasises the need for novel strategies to tackle the growing risk of reduced treatment options in the future. A multistakeholder approach must be taken to increase our understanding and management of bacterial respiratory infections.