Dr. Manuel Estay Montecinos

Dr. Manuel Estay Montecinos is an Associate Professor in the Department of Economics within the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences at the University of Concepción (UdeC), and a researcher at the Interdisciplinary Center for Aquaculture Research (INCAR²). His research focuses on the economics of aquaculture and fisheries, the design of environmental regulatory policies based on economic incentives, and market analysis in natural resource industries. Among his recent contributions is a publication in The RAND Journal of Economics examining the welfare implications of trade associations in the Chilean salmon farming industry. He has also published in Resource and Energy Economics on optimal environmental policies under endogenous firm location decisions, and in Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews on the social acceptability of emerging marine energy technologies. His research further addresses indirect employment in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors, as well as biosecurity and profitability issues in salmon farming. In 2023, he received the Robert F. Lanzillotti Prize for the Best Paper in Antitrust Economics , awarded at the International Industrial Organization Conference (IIOC), in recognition of excellence in applied economic research. As Principal Investigator, he led FONDECYT Initiation Project No. 11230885 , focused on efficient regulatory alternatives for the Chilean aquaculture industry. He currently serves as Co-Investigator in the international SVAR Project (2025-2028) , funded by the International Centre for Antimicrobial Resistance Solutions (ICARS), which aims to develop surveillance systems to reduce antimicrobial use in Chilean salmon farming.