Mobile platform developer Netbiscuits is setting up a software development hub in Singapore to leverage growth in the region.

Chief executive Michael Neidhoefer  says expansion plans will see the ‘island republic' used as a springboard to access the Asia Pacific: "By developing a team of software engineers as well as a local sales and support organisation we will be able to meet the fast-paced demands of our Asia based customers and provide a high level of product quality and professional services."

Netbiscuits says it is giving priority to recruiting and developing local talent as part of its global strategy. The Singapore team has increased from an initial three to 11 with further talent being hired.

Singapore has one of the highest mobile penetration rates in the world and the Asia Pacific region as a whole is seeing the fastest adaptation rates for mobile devices on a global scale.

According to GfK Asia, Singapore is one of the fastest growing countries in South East Asia for smartphones, where sales value had more than quadrupled from US$14 million in the third quarter of 2010. More than half of all mobile devices sold in Singapore in the same period of 2011 were smartphones – Android, iOS and Symbian collectively making up more than 90 per cent of the market.

Says Neidhoefer, "We are extremely delighted to receive the Singapore government's assistance and are impressed with the initiatives made available to develop it as an innovative regional technology hub.

“With the resources allocated to us over the next few years, Netbiscuits will drive the development of its core mobile publishing platform and train and develop local Singaporean software developers."