The Sweet Potato Research Center (PRAISE – Padjadjaran Center for Sweet Potato Research & Innovation Excellence) is a leading research center under the Directorate of Research, Downstreaming, and Community Engagement at Universitas Padjadjaran. Officially established in February 2025, PRAISE focuses on the development of science, technology, and innovation based on sweet potato as a strategic commodity. The center is located at the PRAISE Building, Ciparanje Experimental Field, Jatinangor, and serves as an integrated research hub covering the entire sweet potato agribusiness system—from upstream to downstream.

PRAISE originated from the ProTuber working group, founded in 2006 by Prof. Dr.sc.agr. Ir. Agung Karuniawan, M.Sc.Agr, a pioneer in germplasm exploration, breeding, and sweet potato cultivation technology. The transformation from ProTuber into PRAISE marks a significant institutional advancement toward a modern research center that integrates basic research, superior variety development, and product downstreaming.

Strategically, PRAISE aims to support national food security, promote sustainable agriculture, and improve farmer welfare through technological innovation and multi-stakeholder partnerships. Its research focuses include the development of high-yielding and stress-tolerant varieties, integrated cultivation systems, post-harvest technologies, and value-added products such as functional foods and industrial raw materials.

In its implementation, PRAISE adopts an integrated research approach utilizing advanced technologies such as tissue culture, genomics, metabolomics, and precision agriculture systems. Furthermore, PRAISE actively advances downstream innovation through the development of processing mini plants, agribusiness models, and collaborations with industry and international institutions to accelerate the commercialization of innovations.

PRAISE also plays a key role in community empowerment through farmer training programs, the provision of superior planting materials, and the strengthening of research-based partnership systems. With a medium- to long-term development roadmap, PRAISE aims to become the National Reference Center for Sweet Potato and a leading national and international hub for globally competitive research and innovation in sweet potato.