The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry dispatched on Monday a division chief in charge of commodity derivatives to work at Canon Inc. as part of a government program to promote personnel exchanges with the private sector.

Satoshi Miyamoto, 44, who has been assigned to Canon through April 30, 2008, is the most senior METI official to be sent to work at a private company, officials said.

Miyamoto will be in charge of management strategy at the optical equipment maker's planning section.