Merinova’s Morning Coffee Guest series continued on Friday, 28 November, as we welcomed Ross Bailey and Tony Glader from Fortum to our morning coffee table. As before, the discussion offered an opportunity to hear our guests’ perspectives on current topics in the energy sector, this time with a particular focus on cybersecurity and AI safety.
Tony Glader has worked in the energy sector for 25 years. He began his career at Wärtsilä as an engineer and software developer, after which he moved to ABB and later to Fortum. Over the course of his long career, he has witnessed the sector’s technological development up close. Ross Bailey, on the other hand, started his career in help desk roles in United Kingdom and later moved to Finland, where he ultimately found his way into the technology field. Before joining Fortum, Ross worked at a Finnish startup as well as at Wärtsilä in a cybersecurity-related role.
Fortum
Fortum is a Nordic energy company whose mission is to build a world where people, businesses and nature thrive together. Its operations rely on efficient hydro and nuclear power, enabling large-scale clean energy production reliably throughout the year. In addition, the company develops district heating and cooling, invests in renewable energy sources, and actively explores new business opportunities in next-generation nuclear power and green hydrogen.
Fortum aims to be one of Europe’s cleanest energy producers: as much as 99 percent of its electricity generation is CO₂-free. At the core of Fortum’s strategy are reliable energy production, supporting industry in transitioning toward low-carbon solutions, and the long-term renewal of its own operations. Fortum plays a significant role in the Nordic energy sector, both in electricity production and in supplying heat and energy to industries and district heating networks.
Around the Coffee Table
According to both Ross and Tony, the fields of AI and cybersecurity have changed significantly in recent years. The sector is now more regulated, resources have increased, yet the shortage of skilled professionals remains constant.
The discussion touched on topics such as:
🔹 The rapid development of AI
🔹 Artificial Superintelligence (ASI) scenarios
🔹 The potential future interplay between quantum computing and AI
🔹 Global investments in database infrastructure and data centres
🔹 The energy consumption and waste heat produced by data centres
🔹 The need for multidisciplinary expertise: those working in AI safety and cybersecurity must understand a wide range of domains
The guests also highlighted their hope to see more AI and cybersecurity expertise develop in the Vaasa region. Finland already has strong players in the field, and similar ecosystems could bring added value to the energy cluster in the Vaasa area.
We warmly thank Ross and Tony for their visit and for a truly fascinating discussion!