Quoting the qflow site: > Early versions of the qflow digital flow were used to create digital circuits used in high-performance commercial integrated circuits

Quoting the qflow site: > Early versions of the qflow digital flow were used to create digital circuits used in high-performance commercial integrated circuits. It's real, and it works! So, likely, the OSU cell library was really used for commercial fabrication ( http://vlsiarch.ecen.okstate.edu/flow/# http://vlsiarch.ecen.okstate.edu/flow/# ). I think you're right, OSS can coexist with the proprietary cell libraries and P&R tools. I am (optimistically) expecting that in the near future we'll witness a revolution in vlsi similar to what happened to the PCB fabrication - with the fabs becoming accessible to small companies and even hobbyists. And this should kick start an improvement in both the OSS tools ecosystem and the current closed, secretive world of Cadence, Synopsys and alike.