The LF Energy SEAPATH project has reached a major milestone with its V1 release in January 2025, establishing itself as the open-source reference for virtualized digital substations. Over the past five years, the project has grown into a structured, collaborative effort that bridges utilities, vendors, hardware manufacturers, and tech companies—unifying a traditionally conservative industry around open innovation. This talk will explore the SEAPATH journey: from its inception as a technical initiative to its current role as a strategic enabler of IT/OT convergence in energy systems. Attendees will gain insights into the challenges of engaging industry stakeholders, the best practices that have sustained growth, and the lessons learned in building an ecosystem where open-source principles drive real-world adoption. SEAPATH’s success is also a testament to the power of community-driven collaboration enabled by LF Energy, which has provided a neutral, trusted framework to bring together key players in the energy sector and accelerate open innovation.