The Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation (GLEIF) and Switzerland's Federal Statistical Office have launched a new initiative integrating official central business registry data directly into the Legal Entity Identifier (LEI) records of Swiss businesses. This is set to significantly enhance international business transparency and enable global identifiability and discoverability.
All active companies in Switzerland are given a standardized business identification number (UID). The Federal Statistical Office maintains the UID register to ensure correct allocation, management, and use of the UID. The new collaboration with GLEIF embeds a direct URL link into the LEI records of entities listed within the UID register, enabling easy one-click access to each entity's official verified registration data and associated documentation on the UID register website.
For global LEI data users, this 'linking initiative' simplifies due diligence processes such as Know Your Customer (KYC) and Know Your Supplier (KYS). The need to manually identify the correct registry authority, navigate to the website, translate into local language, and then search for an organization using its business registration number is removed, accelerating compliance workflows and reducing operational friction. Streamlined access to verifiable identity data also means Swiss businesses can be discovered more easily by global partners. This is particularly important for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) – which form more than 99% of companies and create two-thirds of the jobs in Switzerland – in overcoming the hurdle of gaining international visibility and credibility.
Each LEI is underpinned by data held in the Global LEI Index – a free, open, and globally trusted database containing verified identity reference information from authoritative sources to enable the clear and unique identification of legal entities globally.
Alexandre Kech, CEO of GLEIF, comments: "GLEIF and the Swiss Federal Statistical Office share a commitment to enabling greater transparency and digital trust in global markets. Through this collaboration, we are making global due diligence far more efficient and highlighting the value of the LEI in facilitating international trade. By linking LEI records with authoritative business registries, GLEIF is building a globally interoperable digital identity infrastructure that promotes financial integrity, regulatory efficiency, and economic opportunity."
This latest collaboration further strengthens the LEI's role as a universal data connector for business registries worldwide by centralizing access to authoritative registration sources within LEI records, while underscoring business registries' essential function in advancing corporate transparency and integrity in the global economy. It follows similar initiatives with The Netherlands Chamber of Commerce (KVK) and Companies House in the UK, which provided LEI data users with direct access to official business registry data on the KVK and Companies House websites.
GLEIF is now seeking to engage additional business registries worldwide to leverage the LEI as a central data connector to enhance global corporate transparency further and advance the fight against economic crime. Business registries interested in exploring these opportunities can access further information on the GLEIF website here.
