The 40^th annual COLP conference was organized by the Center for Oceans Law and Policy in cooperation with the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, and the Office of Legal Affairs of the United Nations. GSR addressed fostering technological change for responsible harvesting of ocean mineral resources in a volatile global environment. Before any exploitation may take place, fundamental state-of-the-art and custom-built equipment remains to be developed and tested, thus improving our understanding of the environmental impact of harvesting delimited areas of the abyssal plain. Both the technology and environmental risk may prove to be the most significant challenges in the development of the resources of the Area. Regulation, therefore, is a prerequisite for further investment, providing certainty, stability and predictably for investors.