Motorola spokeswoman Mary Lamb said the company selected Singapore since it already hosts many of its core business operations, including R&D, manufacturing and marketing.

The chip maker said in a statement that its Global Supply Chain Control Tower would by 2007 employ some 200 workers responsible for overseeing supply-chain management activities for all Motorola's business units, including mobile devices and enterprise networks.

Motorola's Singapore operation already handles purchasing, procurement and sourcing. The hub will be expanded into "new and strategically important functions" and provide supply-chain support to all its business lines, the company said.

Motorola said the facility would help it "create and drive operational efficiencies" in manufacturing, and "catalyze new and enhance existing partnerships with suppliers and EMS."

The company also plans to "enhance" its manufacturing capabilities in Singapore to include new GSM, 3G and CDMA products.