We're up and running MERIT 2014 is underway with teams from Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong, South Africa the UK it will once again it will be competitive. Occupying the first two places in the league table after this opening round are the two MTR teams, Professional Passionate Engineers and Synergy. This is a repeat of last year where MTR teams dominated the first phase and every round in the final until Arup overtook them in the very last round denying MTR the title of MERIT Champions. MTR are clearly intent on recovering from last year’s disappointment and have put in a huge effort in trialling as they map out their intended winning strategy.
In third place in the opening league table are Atkins Asia Pacific’s team Prevail. Atkins are prolific MERIT finalists, and are obviously keen to be present this year.
In fourth and fifth place respectively in the opening league table are Arup's team AgRUP of MEN +1 and The Arup Apprentices. Arup, won the sponsor's award in 2013 (as well as being MERIT 21014 Champions) and start MERIT 2014 as the most successful sponsor having won 3 Champion's titles and two sponsor's awards.
Atkins India with their team Sigma are in sixth place. After placing a team in the final of MERIT 2013 they look to be on course to be fighting for the top six places again.
So if this was the last round that would be the finalists but it isn't, it's the only the start and there will be great changes and upheavals in the pecking order. Lurking just outside the top six areVictoria Road-MNW from Australia, Mott MacDonald, Tony Gee and Partners, Aurecon, Atkins, Vinci, Arup, Amey, Babcock, and Grontmij.
The opening round is not really a great guide as to how it will end. The teams that undertook the most trials tend to emerge first but as the others improve their understanding they catch up. With team scores changing in each round by as much as 20% everyone is still in the running.
Its game on and it looks like it’ll be a good one...