Meet Sarah Delmar: Building Maine’s Life Sciences Future

For Sarah Delmar, the story of Maine’s future begins with lessons from its past. Growing up in a mill town, she saw firsthand the risks of an economy dependent on a single industry. Like many Mainers, she left the state for education and career opportunities, unsure if there was a path back. But over the last five years, as momentum began to build in Maine’s innovation economy, Sarah recognized the moment was right to return.

Today, as the Founding Director of the Maine Life Sciences Center at the Maine Technology Institute (MTI), she is channeling both her personal roots and her professional expertise into shaping one of Maine’s most promising growth sectors.

From Global Growth to Maine’s Innovation Economy

Sarah brings more than a decade of experience helping cities around the world build thriving startup ecosystems. At the Cambridge Innovation Center, she led global growth, working on projects that ranged from structuring real estate deals to forging partnerships with universities and governments to create innovation hubs that spark new jobs and industries.

More recently, through her work with FocusMaine, Sarah helped shape Maine’s emerging life sciences strategy in collaboration with BioME and partners across the state. Together, they explored the best ways to accelerate growth in this critical sector. When it became clear that the newly established Life Sciences Center would be housed at MTI, Sarah saw the opportunity as a perfect extension of her work.

Why MTI, Why Now

MTI has long stood at the center of Maine’s innovation community, investing in entrepreneurs and industries statewide. Sarah was drawn to MTI’s unique position to scale the life sciences sector, especially as this is the first leadership role dedicated to a specific industry within the organization.

“This role allows us to align efforts more tightly—within MTI, with our partners, and across the state,” Sarah explains. “It’s about pursuing a broader strategy to grow a high-value sector that cuts across all of Maine’s strengths.”

The Promise of Life Sciences in Maine

For Sarah, the excitement around life sciences stems from its breadth and potential. The sector includes everything from diagnostics and bio-based products to marine science and AI-driven solutions. It builds on Maine’s world-class research institutions and innovative startups, while also promising accessible jobs across skill levels.

“What excites me most is that life sciences isn’t just one industry,” Sarah notes. “It touches so many areas—health, environment, advanced materials, food systems, and the blue economy. It creates opportunities that can really anchor families here while tackling some of the biggest challenges in human, animal, and environmental health.”

Solving for Connectivity

Asked what single challenge she would solve for Maine entrepreneurs, Sarah doesn’t hesitate: connectivity.

“Maine has incredible talent and ideas, but our distributed geography can make it harder to build the density of peers, mentors, and investors that startups need,” she says. “If we could create a stronger center of gravity—more opportunities for people to collide and collaborate—we’d accelerate growth and strengthen the entire ecosystem.”

Life Beyond the Office

When Sarah isn’t busy building the future of Maine’s life sciences sector, she recharges in ways that are equal parts active and reflective. She loves to cook, hike, and—she admits—has a soft spot for a well-organized spreadsheet.

She’s also quick to share her personal favorites:

• Book on her nightstand: Hunt, Gather, Parent by Michaeleen Doucleff, a source of inspiration as the parent of a three-year-old.
• Show she’s streaming: Andor, as a self-professed Star Wars fan.
• Go-to local restaurant: Tinder Hearth in Brooksville, where the pizza and bread “are magic.”
• Podcast in her earbuds: The Sleepy Bookshelf, her go-to for winding down.

Her ideal Maine weekend? Exploring a new trail or town, often driven by the discovery of an off-the-beaten-path bakery, restaurant, or coffee shop—followed by time with her family and toddler.

Looking Ahead

Sarah Delmar’s journey—from global innovation hubs to the heart of Maine’s life sciences strategy—is defined by both vision and pragmatism. With MTI, she’s helping ensure Maine doesn’t just participate in the growth of life sciences but leads in ways that are authentic to the state’s strengths and aspirations.

For Sarah, the work is about more than industry growth; it’s about building a resilient economy and creating opportunities that allow families to stay, thrive, and contribute to Maine’s future.