In this essay we will discuss capacity development in health informatics research and application, which to us is among the major contributions of Professor John Mantas scholarship. Specifically, driven by the inspiration of his scholarship we will elaborate on advancing new applications areas, additional actors and geographical uptake of health informatics and eHealth solutions over time. We will illustrate capacity development in health informatics and address challenges that systematically foster digital health literacy, engagement and empowerment, and building health informatics capacities regionally, in Europe and globally.