Now in its 28th year, the European Congress of Endocrinology (ECE) 2026 commences on Saturday 9 May and runs until Tuesday 12 May. The Congress will bring together endocrine specialists from across Europe and the rest of the world to meet, collaborate and celebrate endocrinology at the Prague Congress Centre in Prague, Czech Republic. This year’s Congress will also celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the European Society of Endocrinology (ESE) since the formation of the Society in 2006. 

A research team from the Urban and Transportation Systems Laboratory, Department of Architecture and Urban Systems, Toyohashi University of Technology (lead researcher: Dr. Mustafa Mutahari), has developed a quantitative policy evaluation framework for assessing how cities can attract startups while maintaining high living standards. In this study, the team evaluated the startup ecosystem under an air-front smart city using a model that integrates Quality of Life (QOL), Quality of Business (QOB), and accessibility from both digital and physical dimensions, and revealed that policy, accessibility, and QOL are the key determinants. This research was conducted as part of the JST e-ASIA Joint Research Program, an international collaborative project involving Japan, Thailand, and the Philippines, and the findings have been published in Smart Cities, an international academic journal.