Tiger Teams is part of ClimBEco, an interdisciplinary graduate research school where PhD students from diverse disciplines receive training in climate, ecosystems, and biodiversity. A central component of ClimBEco is the annual Tiger Teams week, during which PhD students work closely with societal actors on sustainability challenges the actors themselves are grappling with. This gives the students an opportunity to apply their skills in practice, while partners gain access to interdisciplinary expertise and new ways of thinking.
In 2026, Tiger Teams will take place during week 46 (9–13 November). Richard Walters, researcher and course coordinator for Interdisciplinarity in Environmental Research—which includes Tiger Teams—is currently seeking additional societal actors to collaborate with. While interest in participation is high, many potential partners hesitate, unsure whether their idea is suitable. Richard’s message is clear:
– Over the years, Tiger Teams has delivered a broad range of concrete results and products—such as knowledge syntheses, decision support tools, educational and communication materials, and evaluations of policies, programmes, or working methods. Together we can find a way forward for your idea, says Richard Walters.
Innovative solutions in a short timeframe
Karl Magnus Adielsson, environmental strategist at the Department of Regional Development at Region Skåne, has participated in Tiger Teams several times. Most recently, Region Skåne collaborated with a Tiger Team to develop background material and innovative ideas on how new EU directives and global frameworks could be translated into regional business value and strengthened competitiveness. According to Karl Magnus, the teams delivered creative yet feasible material with a strong interdisciplinary perspective—material that Region Skåne continues to build upon:
– Tiger Teams is not suitable for simple routine tasks but is excellent for idea development and feasibility studies where innovative solutions can emerge quickly. You get dedicated teams that challenge established truths and deliver innovative solutions. It saves time, injects energy into the work, and reduces the risk of getting stuck in old patterns. So if you're facing complex challenges where the solution is not obvious and several scenarios are possible—don’t hesitate!, says Karl Magnus Adielsson.
A different approach to teaching
The Tiger Team concept originated in the military and became widely known through NASA’s use of a Tiger Team during the Apollo 13 mission in 1970. Today, Tiger Teams are commonly used by organisations that need focused, expert groups to address complex problems under time pressure. Applied in an educational context, the approach supports a distinctive form of learning characterised by:
- Rapid problem solving – when traditional teaching formats are not suitable and speed is essential
- Active learning and deeper understanding – students analyse, synthesise, and evaluate rather than passively absorb information
- Cross-functional collaboration – teams combine complementary disciplinary perspectives
- Independence and ownership – students work with limited guidance, increasing engagement and responsibility
Oskar Åström, Eir Persson, and Cecilia Liljeberg were among the PhD students participating in 2025. Together, they helped develop a biodiversity certification system based on gamification for Region Skåne. Cecilia reflects on the experience:
– It was interesting to gain greater insight into the types of challenges Region Skåne faces and their visions for moving biodiversity efforts in Skåne forward. We hope that the work we carried out during the Tiger Teams week can spark ideas for alternative ways to inspire businesses to take actions that strengthen local nature and Skåne’s biodiversity, says Cecilia.
Oskar and Eir agree with Cecilia and add:
– The Tiger Teams assignment really gave us an opportunity to test interdisciplinary collaboration in practice on a small scale.
Contact and more information:
Collaborate with Tiger Teams?
Contact Richard Walters, e-mail: richard [dot] walters [at] mgeo [dot] lu [dot] se (richard[dot]walters[at]mgeo[dot]lu[dot]se)
Previously participating societal actors:
- Companies: Calluna AB, Marla Miljödialog AB, Nordvästra Skånes Renhållning AB
- Municipal company: VA SYD
- Authorities: Region Skåne, County Administrative Board of Örebro
- Non profit organisations: Hållbar Utveckling Skåne
- Municipalities: Lund, Perstorp, Ängelholm
- Organisations: The Federation of Swedish Farmers (LRF), Röstånga Energy Cooperative
Participating PhD students
Participants are PhD students from the ClimBEco research school, where they can collaborate on issues related to biodiversity, ecosystem services, and climate within a supportive network of colleagues and mentors. ClimBEco is a joint initiative by the Faculty of Science, LTH, the strategic research areas BECC and MERGE, and Lund University’s profile area Nature-Based Future Solutions. The PhD students primarily come from Lund University, the University of Gothenburg, and Chalmers.