Twitter is looking to grow its engineering team in Singapore to at least 100 next year, with new hires to include positions in data science and machine learning. The expansion plans outside its US base aim to build a more "distributed workforce" and "accessible product".

The move comes almost two years after the microblogging platform established its Singapore engineering centre in February 2020, marking the first such facility in the region. The city-state also serves as Twitter's Asia-Pacific headquarters and was home to its first international data science team, established in 2016, outside its domestic US market.

The company now plans to double its Singapore engineering team to at least 100 in 2023, working alongside its global counterparts on "core advancements" on the platform. These include development of new product experiences, bringing personalised user content, and enhancing efficiencies to improve speed and reliability, Twitter said in a statement Tuesday.

When asked, Twitter's director of Asia-Pacific engineering centre Silvanus Lee said the company also has technical teams in Bengaluru, India, where its engineers look at research, data science, and design, amongst other functions. Outside of the US, it has dedicated engineering teams in London and Toronto. 

Elaborating on its engineering focus in Singapore, Lee told ZDNet the local centre had a "strong pipeline" of skillsets in data science and machine learning. 

"Our data science and data engineering teams based in Singapore build Twitter's core datasets and metrics, and drive foundational research and statistical analyses to understand how people are using Twitter's products in order to improve their user experience," he said.

The local engineering centre is helmed by Lee, a Singaporean who previously worked in San Francisco and had engineering roles in companies such as Dropbox and Uber. He joined Twitter in 2020.

"Our purpose is to serve the public conversation," he said. "We are focused on product innovations and improvements, so that people around the world can have the best experience when they want to find out what's happening, discuss a trending topic, or connect with their communities."

Twitter said plans to expand its international engineering facilities were in line with its aim to establish a "more distributed workforce", so it could build an "inclusive and accessible product". 

"Offering more choice and flexibility, such as the ability to work in the Asia-Pacific region, enables a greater talent mix for the company that reflects the communities it serves," it said. Pointing to its 2025 diversity goals, Twitter said it hoped to have women comprise at least half its global headcount. 

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