SOFA (Simulation Open Framework Architecture) is an interactive mechanical simulation platform created in 2006. It has led to many scientific contributions (35 publications in 2023, 130 citations, 132 conference presentations, 21 theses) while 12 companies centred on the tool have been set up. There is an active community of developers and users in Europe, Australia and the USA and 48 plug-ins have been developed thanks to its documentation and contribution guide. SOFA has also been used for artistic projects and the open science approach is clearly displayed and well executed in all aspects of the platform.