Daily News Briefs

A free online database from the Greater Zurich Area Inc., an economic development agency, features 600 listings (in English) of companies in Switzerland that specialize in photonics, sensors, micro/nanotechnology, measurement and automation. It also includes technology consulting, technology park and venture capital listings. Visit: hightech.gza.ch. . .Light scanning technology developer Microvision Inc. announced it has procured a contract for approximately $1 million with an Asian manufacturer of printers and office equipment for further development of a MEMS-based scanning engine for high-speed laser printers.. . . Robotic Vision Systems Inc. said its Acuity CiMatrix Division has received a $1.2 million follow-on order for its Visionscape machine vision products for use by a personal care products company in an automation program to retrofit its manufacturing lines. The systems will be delivered between November 2003 and April 2004.