INCAR is the first Interdisciplinary Center for Aquaculture Research in Chile, which deals with a range of issues and gaps in current knowledge related to the development of sustainable aquaculture in our country. This is a research center of excellence made up of a group of researchers with strong academic backgrounds in the wide-ranging areas related to aquaculture (immunology, genomics, oceanography, epidemiology, genetics, molecular biology, economy, ecology, sociology and biogeochemistry).

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The IAC is chaired by the Director of INCAR and its members are the 5 Principal Investigators of the Center, 1 Associate Researcher for each Research Line, 1 representative of INCAR’s postdocs, 1 representative of the graduate students, the Regional Director of Aysén and the Outreach Manager. The representatives are all democratically elected and one alternate member is also elected for every full member. The objectives of the IAC are: (i) To improve communication channels within INCAR, promoting efficient feedback from the members of the Center to the Director and the Academic Board, (ii) To increase the participation level of the members of INCAR in the decision-making process, (iii) To enhance the sense of identity and belonging to INCAR by the members of the Center, (iv) To increase the transparency of the decision-making process of the Academic Board, and (v) To promote a more efficient governance system for INCAR.

The Institutional Board is composed by the Vice-President of Research and Development of the University of Concepción, the Vice-President of Research of the National University Andres Bello and the Director of Research and Development of the Austral University of Chile. The main function of the Institutional Board is to facilitate and coordinate the inter-institutional relationships among the three universities involved in the Center in order to promote synergic interaction to strengthen INCAR’s science.

INCAR’s Advisory Panel is composed of the following members: Ms. Alicia Gallardo, National Deputy Director of Aquaculture of the Chilean National Fisheries and Aquaculture Service (SERNAPESCA), Ministry of Economy, Government of Chile; Mr. Eugenio Zamorano, Head of the Aquaculture Division, Undersecretary of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Ministry of Economy, Government of Chile (SUBPESCA); Ms. Cristina Torres, Marine Program Officer (Chile) of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF); Ms. Yohana González, General Manager of the Association of Mussel Farmers of Chile (AMICHILE); Dr. Alfredo Tello, General Manager of the Salmon Technology Institute (INTESAL; this institute is the research branch of the Association of the Salmon Farming Industry of Chile, SalmonChile A.G.) and Ms. María Eugenia Camelio, Director of the FONDAP program, CONICYT. The role of the advisory panel is to link INCAR with key public and private organizations so that the actions of the center (research, educational, training, outreach) remain relevant for public and private stakeholders of Chilean aquaculture and ensure our contribution to the sustainability of the sector.