The objective of the area is to create research and extension capabilities in the field of economic regulation of public infrastructure sectors to strengthen public policies within a framework of environmental and social sustainability. The process of studying regulatory issues stems from the work carried out at CINPE within the framework of the Energy, Environment and Poverty project, which, together with the School of Business and Management of the University of Bergen, NHH in Norway, was carried out from 1997 to 2005.
This project initiated a series of studies on the market structure and institutional architecture of the electricity and hydrocarbon sector in Costa Rica, which later led to the development of the first 4-course graduate program in Regulatory Economics. Since then, CINPE has maintained a very close relationship with the public sector entities involved in regulatory management and, of course, with the regulated public entities or institutions.
Some related topics are:
- Energy and telecommunications.
- New institutional economy and rurality.
- Transportation and hydrocarbons.
- Drinkable water.
- Ports and airports.