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Multiple science policy initiatives in recent years have encouraged interaction between academic and non-academic actors as a way of aligning research priorities with societal challenges. Academic engagement, defined as scientists' knowledge-related interactions with non-academics, is recognised as crucial for promoting technological development and effectively addressing societal issues. However, whether such interactions stimulate or compromise fundamental scientific advances remains an open question. This paper contributes to the debate by exploring the extent to which academic engagement increases the production of cutting-edge research. We examine the relationship between scientists' interactions with non-academic actors and the production of high-impact research, using bibliometric indicators and primary data from a large-scale survey of scientists in all scientific fields affiliated with Spanish universities and public research organisations. Our results suggest an overall positive relationship between scientists' interaction with non-academic actors and the production of research findings with high scientific impact. We show, also, that this positive association is contingent on (i) the specific mode of interaction and (ii) the scientists’ previous scientific achievements. We find that modes of interaction that facilitate knowledge exchange and cooperation are particularly conducive to the publication of cutting-edge research, compared to unidirectional forms of knowledge exchange, and that renowned and reputable scientists are the best positioned to leverage the opportunities offered by partnerships with non-academic actors. • Analysing scientists' academic engagement and their scientific impact. • New perspective: shifting the focus from productivity to scientific impact. • Greater scientific experience reinforces the academic engagement–impact relationship. • This relationship is stronger for joint research modes of academic engagement.