Hi @r2d2,
Absolutely!! Half of my reference letters are from Academia. See this: My case summary
There is, however, one wisdom (a subjective opinion, of course! AND I AM IN NO WAY ASSOCIATED WITH TECH NATION, BTW) that I want to share.
The letters from industry were more focused on execution, and material improvements (like, a tool I created saved thousands of hours of manual work, or an innovation that improved yield/productivity etc). The letters from the academia were more centered on cognitive influence, especially around the globe. My referees proved how the papers I published were cited by eminent researchers from more than 10 acclaimed organizations.
All the best!!
Bubun