A computer chip production company to be set up jointly by Hitachi Ltd., Toshiba Corp. and Renesas Technology Corp. will be headed by Hirokazu Hashimoto, a former vice president at NEC Electronics Corp., sources said Monday.

The new company is an attempt by the major electronics firms to improve the competitiveness of Japan's semiconductor manufacturing. Details are expected to be announced by the end of the week.

Hashimoto, 62, joined NEC Corp. in 1966. He served as vice president of NEC Electronics from 2002 to last June, when he became an adviser to the company. He resigned his post earlier this month.

NEC is not participating in the joint venture.