Nazareth—Some 70 talented innovators in their 20s and 30s from around the world will run a very different kind of marathon in Israel, as they compete to invent prototypes of tools for people with disabilities using cutting-edge digital and 3D-printing technology.

The “Tikkun Olam Make-a-thon (TOM),” fea­turing the slogan “72 hours to make a better world,” will take place June 29-July 1, in Naz­areth, with participants hailing from seven countries including Israel, the U.S., Argentina, Chile, India, and Singapore. Participants were selected from more than 200 applicants from around the world.

TOM is an intensive international gathering of artists, engineers, designers, and occupa­tional therapists. These innovators will pro­duce working prototypes of products to help people with a range of disabilities, using digi­tal fabrication tools including 3-D printers, la­ser cutters, and other rapid manufacturing equipment.

Working in a specially constructed labo­ratory called a “makerspace” in the recently-opened Nazareth Industrial Park founded by Israel’s leading industrialist, Stef Wertheimer, these young inventors will create open-source tools that allow innovators worldwide to build on and enhance the models.

This event is part of a growing glob­al movement that democratizes the manu­facturing process by sharing access to and knowledge of new technology. TOM organiz­ers also expect the event will inspire follow-up gatherings and meet-ups throughout Is­rael and around the world.

“A TOM-produced design to help a quad­riplegic more easily sip from a straw could then be improved upon by innovators in San Francisco, New Delhi, or Lima,” said Arnon Zamir, TOM Co-Founder. “Disabilities tran­scend borders, and so do solutions.”

TOM was created as part of Schusterman Connection Points, an initiative launched by the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, a global organization that sup­ports and creates innovative initiatives for the purpose of igniting the passion and un­leashing the power in young people to cre­ate positive change in Jewish communities and beyond.

It is being organized in partnership with the Reut Institute’s Cross Lab Network (XLN), which aims to place Israel at the frontier of the 3D printing and manufacturing revolu­tion.