Interview with Battery Summit Speaker: Volodymyr Berezhniy, K66

Ukraine and Allied Partners - Building a Resilient Rare Earth Magnet Supply Chain with Japan

With one month to go before the Tokyo Battery & Critical Materials Summit, we begin our speaker interview series with Volodymyr (Vol) Berezhniy, founder of the K66 Project. In this conversation, he shares his background, the origins of K66, and why Japan could play a pivotal role in building a trusted rare earth magnet supply chain.

Q1. Could you briefly introduce yourself and your background?

I’m Volodymyr Berezhniy, though most people call me Vol in the US. I’m Ukrainian by origin and have been based in the United States for the past four years. Before that, I lived and worked across Europe and in Singapore.

I studied at National Technical University in Kharkiv, Ukraine, and later attended Harvard Business School. My professional background spans investments, property technology, and consumer ventures. I’ve built and exited companies, and my family has been involved in manufacturing, which gave me early exposure to industrial operations.

For me, having a bigger mission is important. It gives energy and direction. At Harvard, one of the biggest lessons was to think long term and think big — and that mindset influenced the creation of K66.

Q2. How did you become involved in the rare earth and magnet sector?

While in the U.S., I worked with high-level entrepreneurs and investors through a venture platform I founded. One of our clients operated in the rare earth space, and we helped facilitate strategic industrial conversations, including with major U.S. companies.

At the same time, U.S.–Ukraine cooperation in critical minerals was gaining momentum. I was also aware that Ukraine has rare earth potential, including in regions near my family’s roots.
These developments coincided with Ukraine’s rapid technological transformation during wartime — especially in drones and robotics. That convergence led directly to the idea behind K66.

Q3. You’ve described Ukraine as becoming a kind of “Defense Valley.” What do you mean by that?

Under extreme pressure, Ukraine became a very fast-moving innovation environment for drones, robotics, and electronic warfare. Some in the industry describe this momentum as a kind of “Defense Valley” because the pace of iteration is unusually high.
Production figures vary by source. As reported by The Economist, Ukraine produced about 1.5 million drones in 2024, and Ukraine has discussed much higher production targets for 2025 (around 4-5 million drones).
For our work, the point is practical: this level of drone and robotics output increases demand for reliable, high-performance magnets, and it makes resilient, traceable supply chains a priority.

Q4. Why are magnets so strategically important?

High-performance NdFeB magnets are essential components in:

Drones
Robotics
EV motors
Aerospace systems

These magnets rely on key rare earth inputs such as neodymium (Nd), praseodymium (Pr), and dysprosium (Dy), plus tight process control to meet performance specifications.

Today, global supply chains for these materials and finished magnets are highly concentrated. Outside China, capacity is rebuilding. A handful of U.S. and European initiatives have reached pilot production or early shipments, but scaling high-quality magnets requires time, qualification, and tight process control.

Magnets are foundational not only for current defense needs but also for the future of electrification and robotics. Supply chain vulnerability in this area is a strategic issue for many countries.

Q5. What is the K66 Project, and what is its vision?

We are building a resilient allied supply chain for NdFeB magnets, from feedstock access to qualified, traceable magnets for industrial customers.

We think about it as a distributed model:

Upstream: potential feedstock and industrial partnerships in Ukraine where feasible
Midstream: pilot and qualification work in the United States - process validation, specifications, and QA/QC systems with trusted partners
Downstream: planned scaling of magnet manufacturing in Europe, close to industrial demand and logistics

The company is registered in the U.S., and our first customer focus is tied to industrial demand in Ukraine. We have signed early-stage agreements with two leading Ukrainian drone engine manufacturers, which gives us a concrete starting market.

Q6. Is this primarily a defense-driven project?

Near-term demand includes drones and other high-performance applications, but the long-term mission is broader. Magnets are critical for EVs, robotics, renewable energy systems, and industrial applications. The long-term objective is to build a secure supply chain that supports the future of advanced manufacturing across allied markets.

Q7. Why is Japan important to this story?

Japan is extremely important.

Japan represents world-class manufacturing discipline, quality systems, and long-term partnership culture. These capabilities are exactly what resilient supply chains require.

For context, The Economist noted that Europe imports more of the key materials than anyone except Japan, which underlines why diversification matters.

Japan’s expertise in QA/QC, process control, specification development, advanced equipment, and long-term offtake frameworks is highly valuable. Long-term offtake frameworks are valuable because they make projects financeable and scalable.

One important point is safety. Rare earth projects can involve naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM), so the right approach is to measure first and then design compliant handling and residue management from day one.

Q8. Are you seeking investment from Japan?

Our first priority is dialogue and partnership.

For Japanese companies, the highest-leverage entry is technical and commercial alignment: specifications, QA/QC, qualification, and offtake frameworks.
If we validate performance step by step, investment discussions become natural later.

We are closing a small strategic round to fund pilot qualification and partnership execution.

Q9. What message would you like to share ahead of the Tokyo Summit?

Global supply chains are being restructured. Rare earth magnets are essential for electrification, robotics, and advanced industry.

Ukraine has publicly discussed resource potential and rapidly growing industrial demand. The United States provides technological and financial infrastructure. Europe offers production proximity. Japan brings manufacturing excellence and reliability.

If we combine these strengths, we can build a supply chain that is diversified, resilient, and aligned with high industrial standards.

I look forward to discussing this vision further at the Tokyo Battery and Critical Materials Summit.

In his keynote, Vol will present a practical framework for building resilient rare earth magnet supply chains across Japan, the U.S., Europe, and Ukraine - with a focus on trust, qualification, and industrial execution.

In the Tokyo Battery Summit (DAY1 - 17th), he will cover themes such as:

A high-level map overview of publicly discussed rare earth potential in Ukraine and how it connects to industrial demand
How trust, qualification, and QA/QC reduce risk and shorten timelines in cross-border supply chains
Where Japan can lead - manufacturing discipline, quality systems, specifications, process control, and long-term offtake frameworks that make projects financeable and scalable

*Topics may be adjusted slightly as the program and final presentation structure are confirmed.

(IRuniverse, Risa & YT)